Clan Challenges
by Firesong's Mirror
Summary: Where shadows intertwine with dreams and starlight can be tasted on the tongue... My various SecretClan, SparkClan, and StormClan challenges, all assembled in a disturbing collection of evil, darkness, and randomness, with the occasional shred of sunlight peeking through. T because I'm a twisted writer. Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.
1. Disastrous

Updated 13.1.2013

This is my very first SecretClan challenge. Because I wrote this a month ago, my writing wasn't that great, but it improves as I go along. These challenges don't have to be read in order. If you don't like this one, I recommend reading 'Crushed by Rock', 'Wings of Revenge', and '5 Words Challenge' parts 1-3. I think those are some of my best ones.

* * *

Sweetpetal inhaled deeply, trying to capture the scent of the moorflowers in her nose for as long as possible. A gentle breeze ruffled her belly fur, and she squirmed in the pleasant newleaf sunlight. This was the first perfect day since last leaf-fall, and she couldn't resist leaving the ShimmerClan camp for a little while before she'd have to return to her warrior duties.

The tall grass whispered and sighed, softly calling her name, over and over. _Ssssweetpetal... Sssssweetpetal... Ssssweetpetal.._

"Sweetpetal?" The new voice broke into her thoughts, yanking her by the tail from her pleasant daydreams. Sweetpetal sighed and sat up, turning to face the obnoxious Flutterbloom.

"Yes, Flutterbloom?" She asked patiently, bending down to lick a golden honey-coloured paw. "Did you want something?"

"Oh, no! I was just out here, enjoying the day, when I saw your paws sticking out of the grass..." The creamy she-cat giggled. "What about you?"

"I was doing the same. Or trying to." Sweetpetal looked away, at the forest around a hundred fox-lengths away. It looked sinister and dark, even in the bright sunlight, and she shivered instinctively. No cat went there if they could help it... the Black Forest was the sole territory of Twolegs and their filthy dens. Not just any Twolegs, either. Whenever they saw a ShimmerClan cat, or a NightClan cat from the other side of the river which marked the ShimmerClan/NightClan border, they chased after it, shouting and throwing stones. NightClan called them the Cat-haters.

"Well, do you want to hunt? Actually, I thought we could go back to camp. Heronflight has just returned from sunhigh patrol, and he might ask one of us out to hunt together! But we'll have to hurry, all the other eligible females are crowding around!" Flutterbloom snorted in disgust. "As if they don't know that he likes _me _better!"

"Sure, Flutterbloom." Sweetpetal wasn't really listening. She was looking at the Black Forest. A thin, dark trail of... something... was rising up from the trees. "What is that...?" She wondered aloud.

Flutterbloom looked over there, too, and let out another high-pitched giggle. "Oh, that's probably just the Cat-haters, doing their silly things again! Come on, Sweetpetal, we won't make it back to camp in time!"

A gust of wind suddenly blew from the direction of the Forest. Sweetpetal gasped as she caught a whiff of an all too familiar, deadly scent... _smoke!_

"Help!" She screeched, just as she spotted a lick of flames between the black tree trunks. "FOREST FIRE!"

"What?!" Flutterbloom inhaled sharply, also looking in that direction. Her eyes widened in fear. "HELP! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" She yowled, even louder than Sweetpetal's screech.

"We have to get back to warn the camp!" Sweetpetal cried, already starting to race in the opposite direction, where the ShimmerClan camp was concealed in a shallow dip in the ground. "Before the fire spreads to the moors!"

"It's too late!" Flutterbloom hurried to catch up, already panting. "It's spreading like wildfire!"

"Maybe because that's what it is," Sweetpetal gasped between breaths. Her thin, lithe body and strong paws could propel her to enormous speeds; she was the fastest runner in ShimmerClan. But would she get to camp in time to save the others?...

The wind had suddenly changed direction. Now it blew fiercely from the direction of the Black Forest, speeding the flames along directly on their path to the ShimmerClan camp. Thank goodness the camp was situated close to the wide ShimmerNight river... precisely if anything like this ever happened.

Unfortunately, every greenleaf it always did.

This time, though, it was the Cat-haters fault, Sweetpetal thought fiercely. They were the ones who had started this. Because of them, the whole Clan could be doomed.

At last, ahead of her, she spotted the cat guarding the entrance to the camp: Breezefeather. "Sweetpetal?" He called in a puzzled tone. "What's wrong?"

"Forest fire! The moor is being destroyed!" She shrieked, not even slowing down. "We have to get Vineleaf and her kits out of camp before anyone else!"

Breezefeather didn't hesitate; everyone in ShimmerClan knew the dangers of moor fires all too well. He jumped to his feet and ran down the slope, heading straight for Moonstar's den. Sweetpetal stopped, panting, in front of the nursery, and stuck her head in. Inside, Vineleaf was napping peacefully with her three kits curled up next to her.

"Vineleaf! Moor fire!" Sweetpetal meowed, trying not to be too loud. "We have to get out! It'll reach us any minute!"

"Wh-what?" Vineleaf yawned widely and opened her eyes. "Sweetpetal, I -" She stopped as the meaning of her words seemed to reach her. Her eyes opened wide, and she grabbed one of her kits. "Get the others!"

Sweetpetal picked up a brown tabby with her jaws, trying to be careful. Flutterbloom came in from behind her and grabbed the last one, a white tom. All three of them burst out of the nursery and immediately started heading up the slope to where they knew the river would be, the kits wailing in protest. All around the clearing, cats were emerging from their sleeping nests, some tired, some alert, some puzzled, a few afraid.

"Cats of ShimmerClan!" Moonstar had emerged from her den in a former rabbit hole and stood addressing the Clan, Breezefeather beside her. "A moor fire has been sighted by Sweetpetal and Flutterbloom. We must evacuate to the river immediately."

Shocked yowls and gasps reached Sweetpetal's ears, but she didn't stop to listen. Her paws ached, her lungs burned, as she struggled up the incline, desperately trying to outpace the wind, which carried the ever-stronger stench of smoke.

"Follow me!" Behind her, she heard the thud of many paws hitting the ground, all of them rushing towards the sparkling river. At last, Sweetpetal saw the deep blue waters, barely fifty fox-lengths away.

But she couldn't relax. There was a faint, steady roaring sound, coming nearer and nearer with every second. She didn't have to turn to know what it was: the raging fire.

"Sweetpetal! Hurry!" Flutterbloom screeched from next to her, already starting the sprint to the bank. "What are you doing?!"

"Sorry!" Her voice was muffled, and she inwardly cursed her hesitation. Seconds could mean the difference between life and death for her and the kit. She knew first-hand how fast fire could travel on a warm, cloudless day like this.

She began sprinting again, the poor kit dangling from her jaws and whimpering. Thankfully, it was only a moon old, or else it would have been too big for her to run with it, because it would have constantly hit the ground.

The river seemed to grow agonizingly slowly. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and the only sound she could hear was the pounding of her feet, the howl of the wind, the roar of the hungry flames behind her...

Time seemed to speed up a little. Her paws moved a little faster. She strained with all her might; what was happening? Was this what shock felt like? Sweetpetal had heard that cats could freeze in shock and panic during a moor fire, and they couldn't seem to break free until the flames were devouring their bodies.

_No. _She would make it to the river. She would splash in, and swim with all her might, and reach the island in the centre before the flames reached her.

After an eternity that might have only been one second, Sweetpetal finally reached the river. She leaped in without a moments' hesitation and struck out for the island, only about ten tail-lengths away. It was the emergency camp at times like these. The kit in her jaws now hung limp; her neck ached with the effort of keeping its nose above the waves.

All around her, the noise seemed to return. Cats were yowling and jumping into the river, some were already at the island, and right next to her, Vineleaf swam strongly, keeping her kit safely above the water level.

"Keep paddling," Sweetpetal told herself firmly. "You can do this."

And she did. It only took fifteen more seconds for her paws to feel the bottom, and two more for her to deposit the kit gently onto the sandy shore. It coughed weakly and opened its eyes.

"Thank you, Sweetpetal." Vineleaf said softly next to her. "You saved my kit. In your honor, it will be called Sweetkit."

"You hadn't chosen a name for it yet?" Sweetpetal flopped onto the sand, gasping for air. Her lungs felt like they would explode if she kept breathing.

Vineleaf chuckled softly. The sounds of the surviving Clan around them seemed muted again. "Heronflight and I couldn't make up our minds."

"So he _does _have a mate. Everyone says that he's single." Sweetpetal could only summon up a weak feeling of surprise.

Her companion laughed, a little louder. "I'm sure he's been enjoying it."

Sweetpetal sighed and closed her eyes, blocking out the sounds of the fire roaring on their shore, and the scent of smoke. The first beautiful day of newleaf had turned into a disaster. But at least she had done what she could to save the lives of these cats. And Sweetkit.


	2. Crushed by Rock

Total word count without this note: 1577

* * *

_I was running, the wind in my fur. I was chasing a mouse, going to make my mentor happy. I couldn't hear the rumbling until it was right behind me. Then the boulder killed both me and my mouse._

I remember the blinding, momentary pain, as every bone in my body was crushed under the weight of the stone. I remember the desperate squeak of the mouse, as the shadow of the stone closed over its head and silenced its throat forever. I remember feeling weightless, floating upwards into the sky, leaving my lifeless and now soulless body behind. I remember screaming as my vision went black.

With a shudder, I open my eyes, expecting to see myself drifting aimlessly with the clouds, or even worse, still suspended in that inky blackness. But to my surprise, I discover that my paws are planted on solid, yet slightly springy earth; a full moon shines above me. My stomach sinks as I realize what the sparkle of stars all around me, from the grey walls of the mountain cliffs to the midnight blue sky, means. I am in StarClan's hunting territory. My life as Wildpaw of FrozenClan, apprentice of Snowstar, was over.

My fluffy golden fur bristles as I look around, scenting the air. The last thing I want to do is meet some warrior from StarClan and be lectured on what an "honour" it is to join their ranks. Sure enough, I catch a whiff of three different scents; FrozenClan, IceClan, and BlizzardClan. No doubt, they're three ancient leaders or something, here to tell me how great it is to be dead. Well, no thanks; I don't feel like meeting a bunch of star-faced elders. Instead, I strike out in the opposite direction.

Running feels good. I'm not sure if it's because the last thing I was doing when I was alive was running, or if it's because I rarely get to exercise my running skills on the narrow mountain ledges; whatever the cause, my paws carry me through small valleys between cliffs and up steep piles of rock, until I can't smell anything but the cold, clean wind and an icy tang that might be the scent of stars.

Suddenly, I realise something is wrong; I slow to a halt on a slippery ledge that towers over shadows, at the very top of the world. Below me are stars, below them are StarClan hunting grounds, and below that is... mist. I assume that it must be the veil which separates the skylands from the living world. The effect is disorienting enough to make me dizzy, and I step back quickly and look behind me.

My stomach lurches as if I'm going to be sick. Behind me was no stone wall, like I'd assumed; behind me was a landscape even more desolate than StarClan's grey and white territory. Short, stunted trees cling precariously to nearly vertical slopes; small trickles of meltwater flow sluggishly at the bottoms of tiny valleys, their waters murky black. Silent, ghostly shadows of cats wander the land, mere smudges under a sky blacker than the darkest night. I almost prefer StarClan to this... this... _menace._

But I refuse to be manipulated into joining anyone! I may be dead, but I've never liked playing by the rules. Instead, I squeeze my eyes shut and imagine a thin path, made of ice, leading from my dizzying ledge of stone, sloping downwards into the flatlands beyond the mountains. I've never been outside the mountains. I want to know what it's like.

Hesitantly, I open my eyes, almost daring to hope... yes! A pure white path had appeared, just as I'd imagined. Our medicine cat, Nightfeather, was right: the land of the dead could be manipulated by the force of mind. Cautiously, I step onto the ice. It holds. Elation making my paws bounce, I start moving faster, down the straight arrow to another world...

_"Wildpaw..."_

I barely restrain myself from jumping and possibly plunging to yet another death. Moving as carefully as possible so as not to lose my balance, I look around, but there is no one nearby. So who had spoken my name?

"Must be my imagination," I meow aloud. My voice sounds hollow, empty to me. It's lower than I remembered. If I was still alive, I'd be happy at this sign of approaching adulthood, but obviously I can't grow older if I'm dead...

_"Wildpaw... come to ussssss..."_

That creepy whisper again. I gulp nervously and look around again. All of a sudden, I notice something odd; the road ahead of me no longer fades away into the distance. I can glimpse a field of ice, a seemingly endless expanse of white, with no borders...

And, just barely, I can make out white shadows, rising like wisps from the very ground itself...

"Wildpaw!"

This voice is right behind me. I don't bother to turn around. Instead, I jump, yowling, into the mist.

The next thing I know is that I am warm. I hadn't realised how cold I'd been while I was dead. Now, my paws, my fur, my nose, my tail-tip, all felt as warm as the greenleaf sunlight. I open my eyes.

Or try to. They are glued shut.

Was this another side-effect of being dead? Was it yet another strange out-of-this-world experience, designed to make me grow wise or something? Did StarClan plan all of this?"

"Brackenberry! Get up, sleepyhead, it's time for dawn patrol!"

Now, my eyes open of their own accord. I see the dark stone wall of a cave, presumably the camp cave, in front of me. I try to sit up... and my body does not respond. Instead, my legs stretch luxuriously. My stomach rumbles for food.

I'm _never _hungry this early in the morning.

A horrible realisation crashes down on me. This isn't _my _body. Somehow, I had returned to the living world, except now I shared the body of another cat.

Which cat?

The answer was obvious. Froststream's silver face was looming over me, and she's looking straight at me - or rather, at my host, her blue eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Come on, Brackenberry, we haven't got all day! Get a mouse or something, but eat quickly, everyone's waiting."

Brackenberry, the lazy, plump old warrior? There couldn't _be _a worse choice. He finally sat up, blinking at Froststream. "You know I need more than just some measly mouse for breakfast." Even his growl sounded soft and thick as his belly.

She only rolled her eyes and retreated back into the clearing. "Well, tell that to Snowstar. He won't be happy when we leave without you, and I for one will not be waiting for you to fatten up. How you even manage to be so plump in the middle of leaf-bare, I have no idea."

"Oh, I think I will talk to Snowstar," Brackenberry muttered to himself. Wildpaw wondered what he was thinking, and what he meant. Was he going to get Froststream in trouble? He hoped not; Froststream was a good cat, if a bit short-tempered at times.

He wanted to moan with frustration at the slow speed with which Brackenberry emerged from the den. He wanted to yowl with fury as Brackenberry completely ignored the waiting dawn patrol, who were gathered by the cave entrance, their tails twitching with impatience. Instead, the stupid warrior made his unhurried way to the fresh-kill pile and picked out a plump thrush. Wildpaw's anger grew even more when he started eating the whole thing at once... _without sharing with anyone. _Sharing food was the number one rule in FrozenClan, where every mouse was precious, despite the huge territory.

"Brackenberry!" Heronscreech called from the cave entrance. "Hurry up, we're waiting!"

"I need to speak to Snowstar," Brackenberry meowed insolently, raising his voice so every cat in the cave could here. "You can go out without me."

"I think we will," Froststream spat, stalking out of the cave. "Enjoy your meeting, you stupid, fat, lazy, mouse-brained lump of blubbery fur."

If he was still alive, Wildpaw would have given her half of his (already meager) share of food for a month for that comment. To his surprise, however, Brackenberry didn't react to the insult; he simply finished up his bird and trotted off to the small tunnel that led to Snowstar's den.

"Brackenberry." A low growl sounded from the darkness of the cave as the fat tom entered. He stopped and bowed his head respectfully. "Snowstar."

"Is it done? I was unable to question you last night," Snowstar said softly. Wildpaw instinctively tried to prick his ears, but of course he no longer had any. What were the cats talking about?"

"Yes, Snowstar. He is dead. I pushed the boulder onto him as you instructed," Brackenberry mewed. Wait a second...

"Good." Snowstar gave a rumbling chuckle. "The prophecy has been destroyed, now that Wildpaw is dead. You have done well, Brackenberry, my exemplary actor. Soon, you and I shall rule these mountains... and StarClan will never be able to stop us. We shall hold the stars in our paws, and Wildpaw, he who walks in three worlds, will defy us no more."


	3. Wings of Revenge

_I am Tornfeather. That is the name that was given to me when I joined the ranks of StarClan... or so FireClan thought. They tore my wings, destroyed my soul, killed my kits, and drove me to making my family die slow, horrible deaths, and yet they still expect me to join their precious prophecy-obsessed ancestors? I don't think so. No, I, Tornfeather, belong here: in the Place of No Stars, the Dark Forest, the first medicine cat in all five living Clans to walk on the dark side of the moon. And I don't regret a single minute of it._

* * *

"Kits! My precious kits!" I purr into the dark tunnel, my voice echoing off the moist stone walls. "Come home, my darlings, I have fresh wolfmeat for all of us!"

"Wolfmeat, mama? Yum!" A tiny voice calls from ahead of me. I know by the high-pitched tone that it is Sunkit. She is my perfect little angel... golden fur, sky blue eyes, and a soul colder than the coldest leaf-bare ice.

"Where did you get wolfmeat, mama?" Acornkit's voice joins Sunkit's. I begin to hear their rapidly approaching pawsteps, like tiny drops of water splashing on the cold stone.

"Come here and I'll tell you," I meow. "But where are your siblings?"

"Right here, mama!" I whirl around in time to bat aside a double attack. Lowkit and Silverkit, the two adventurous toms, spring to their feet as soon as they hit the ground. "Where is the meat?"

I chuckle softly. "I have hidden it. You'll have to use those noses I've been training to find it. But we must wait for your two sisters to come first." At the same time, I close my eyes and focus my mind, imagining a faint sliver of sickly greenish moonlight to pierce the black sky above the tunnel entrance. I open them again and see Silverkit watching me, his silvery blue eyes that are so like mine shining in admiration.

"How did you do that, mama?" he whispers.

"It takes practice, dear. Perhaps I'll teach you soon." My dark brown tail swishes back and forth. "But you must first master the killing bite before we move on to the more complex mind control."

"Can all cats control things with their minds, mama?" Lowkit asks curiously.

I frown, considering whether to answer his question; it requires a lengthy explanation. However, just as I open my mouth to speak, Acornkit and Sunkit emerge from the tunnels where they had been playing hide-and-seek with the rats. Good. Their presence is also necessary if I am to answer, and I'm sure they're just as curious as their siblings.

"Well, not all. Most cats in the land of the dead and almost every cat in the living world are very mundane and ordinary; their skills are restricted to what meager and incomplete training they get during their apprenticeship. Some discover their potential for telekinesis, as it is properly called, when they are already in the ranks of those stupid fools, StarClan." I spit out the last word as if it is poison. My kits also wrinkle their noses in disgust, and I purr quietly to myself. I have raised them well.

"However, sometimes the StarClan elders who fancy themselves so wise and mighty decide to bestow the gift of telekinesis on the living. Often, they forewarn the Clans of this with a prophecy. You, my dears, were meant to be part of a prophecy, until FireClan ruined it all." I close my eyes, remembering with malicious hatred the blinding pain as my silver wings are torn, shredded, maimed, destroyed, eradicated, gone, gone, gone...

"Mama? What are the five Clans again?" Lowkit's voice makes my eyes snap open. I glare at him.

"Didn't I tell you twice before? You need to remember your lessons better!" I hiss, swiping at his ear with unsheathed claws. He has learned my preferred method of punishment, however, and he ducks just in time. "They are FireClan, WaterClan, EarthClan, AirClan, and LoveClan!"

Silverkit snorts softly. "LoveClan. What a stupid name for a bunch of bumbling idiots that think _love _is the answer to everything. Look where it got them; having barely any territory, all their warriors fat and stupid," he growls, repeating my words exactly from a lecture two weeks ago.

I blink at him, my eyes no doubt betraying my surprise. "Well done, Silverkit. Yes, those mousebrains are no doubt the weakest of the five. However, it did not stop me from falling in love with one of their kind: a warrior named Oceansong. He is your father, my kits. And he is the one whom we shall kill."

Their eyes sparkle with excitement as they gaze up at me. "How long until we get our revenge for the destroyed prophecy? How long until we are repaid for our lost lives?" Acornkit quotes back at me.

My head tilts in consideration. "Not long, my loves. Perhaps a moon. You still have much to learn, and you must get stronger. Which means eating that wolfmeat that I gave you."

Just as I expected, all four of them immediately spring to their feet. "I'll find it first, mama!" Sunkit cries, her nose already close to the ground, sniffing away.

Lowkit bowls her over. "No, I will. You know my nose is the best!" he growls at her.

I simply curl my tail neatly over my paws, inwardly purring with amusement. They are perfect. Perhaps I could have given them more love, maybe made their lives more joyful back when I was alive... when my wings were safe, secret, hidden, and whole... when I was kind, loving, caring, devoted, peaceful, loved by all. But love and happiness were for the weak. The strong cared only for their kin, and for power. For these kits, I was both. And all that had been torn away from me anyway when Oceansong revealed my feathers to FireClan.

Instinctively, I dig my claws into the earth. Soon... soon, I shall get my revenge. Soon, my kits will kill their father. And I will do the honors of ripping his soul to shreds, so that he fades away to the eternal darkness and is forgotten.

"Mama! I found it! I found it!" Silverkit yowls triumphantly. Startled, I jump to my feet, but relax when I see that he is holding up an enormous chunk of wolfmeat in his jaws, looking enormously pleased with himself. The other three kits crowd around him, looking disgruntled.

"Good work, Silverkit, precious. You may eat first. Then I; then your siblings." I turn my narrowed eyes onto the others. "Next time, I expect you to do better. If you are this weak when we go to kill Oceansong, then he might escape from us."

"Yes, mama," they murmur.

* * *

A moon passed. My four kits grow stronger, fiercer, more cunning, and less and less like their peace-loving father. I want to purr so that my whole body vibrates whenever I think of how Lowkit bested her very first wolf pup, or how Silverkit and Sunkit brought down a full-grown spectral badger together. The Dark Forest is teeming with enemies if you know where to find them, and sometimes those enemies find you by themselves. Acornkit was nearly killed when an enormous adder sprang at her from behind a rock one morning, but she instinctively used her mind to force its lunge to miss; the brief respite allowed her to spring upon its head and kill it with a swift bite to the neck. I was never prouder of her than when I watched her hold her own against one of the most deadly enemies a cat has.

One night, I gather them close to me. As I wait for them to finish the last morsels of Acornkit's adder, I rustle my ruined wings. It hurts, but the pain reminds me of old wounds, waiting to be avenged. I do not just want revenge against Oceansong; I want to eradicate the FireClan traitors, the cats who were once my friends, for the suffering they had caused me.

"Mama? Why have you called us?" Acornkit asks as she sits down in front of me. Her brown fur looks yellowish in the pale moonlight I had summoned, like before.

"I have something very important to say to you, darling. To all of you. But we must wait for the others."

"Of course, mama." Acornkit nods obediently. She had grown. Although she was still a kit, she now had extra muscle hidden in her lithe frame.

Silverkit, Lowkit, and Sunkit trotted up to me a few moments later. "What is this about, mama?" Sunkit asks, her eyes glinting.

I purr. "Tonight is the night, my dears. The night we get our revenge. The night we destroy FireClan. The night when Oceansong _dies."_

"Oh, mama! Do you really think we're ready?" Lowkit asks breathlessly. "I mean, of course, I trust your judgement very much, but -"

"Of course you're ready," I cut across his rambling. "You know what to do. I have trained you for this. We will succeed."

"When do we leave, mama?" Silverkit's eyes were cold and hard; the eyes of a trained murderer.

"Right now. Follow me." I get to my feet and begin to walk in an unspecified direction. At the same time, I force the moon to disappear. Good; now we walk in darkness, the only sensation of movement being the padding of our paws. I sniff the air, searching for any fear-scent, but my kits are confident and not afraid. Their pawsteps come hard and strong, not uncertain, and they are used to my manipulation of the surroundings.

The moon is gone, but I can still sense objects. Slowly, trees grow all around us, their trunks shooting upwards and sprouting dead branches, thick black thorns and brown ferns weaving around their bases... the path we walk on starts to become littered with leaves... a murky, slimy trickle starts to flow next to us, slowly growing into a river almost as large as WaterClan's... finally, I add in some glowing fungi onto the tree trunks and make a half moon appear in the sky. The scene is complete; we are in the Dark Forest territory closest to StarClan's hunting grounds.

"Kits..." I whisper. "We will be crossing into the land of the dreams of the living soon. We must locate Oceansong quickly, and lure him here. You remember what to do?"

"Of course, mama." Sunkit answered first, echoed by the others. It was her job to pretend to be a poor kit in pain. Once Oceansong saw her, he would try to rescue her, like the fool he was; she would pretend to be frightened, and run away, luring him deeper into the Dark Forest. I would make the surroundings gradually, gradually get creepier and creepier... until they entered a cave, where the rest of us would be waiting. And I would get my revenge, and Oceansong would be no more; for after the kits killed him the first time, I would do the honor of ripping his soul, so that it is lost forever.

The plan was _perfect. _And no one would ruin it. I, Tornfeather, was the greatest strategist in all five Clans before I became a medicine cat; when I was a warrior, not a single scheme failed. Today - or rather, _tonight _- all my evil dreams would be fulfilled.

* * *

1934... wow. Longest one yet.


	4. 5 Words Challenge - Part 1

This is part 1 of the 5 words challenge... each part will be a separate chapter. Part 1: 22. Purple - Bumblestripe

* * *

Bumblestripe curled his tail neatly over his paws and hunched his shoulders in a futile attempt to shelter himself from the rain. As he was sitting on the lakeshore, at least 20 tail-lengths from the ThunderClan forest, this was a bit pointless. But then again, he never was the sharpest thorn in the bramble patch.

Kestrelflight chuckled slightly as he crouched under an elder bush at the very edge of the treeline, a little to the left of the dark grey tom. In his jaws, he carefully held a leaf wrap with a dead mouse inside; a dead mouse with five little purple berries inside its mouth. Barkface had shown him the creeping vine on the Twoleg farm, where no other cats ever went, not even the foolish RiverClan fatties; he was fairly sure that since he had killed Barkface by "accidentally" feeding him harmless oak leaves instead of catmint, the cure for greencough, he was the only cat in all four Clans who knew about the deadly pokeweed berries.

Lost in his malicious thoughts, Kestrelflight almost didn't notice that Bumblestripe had gotten up from his spot and was heading straight towards him. Panicking, the WindClan medicine cat hurriedly dropped his poisoned mouse, slit it so that it fell out of its leaf-wrap, and skeddadled out of there. And not a moment too soon.

* * *

Bumblestripe frowned as he stared hard at the still-rustling undergrowth. Was that a rabbit, or an enemy spy? He shook his head firmly and muttered out loud, "Nonsense, Bumblestripe. You're starting to hear things. Who would want to spy on ThunderClan _here_, where there aren't any cats, anyways?"

The air gave him no answer, so he just sighed and began to plod back to camp. Wait, no... he stopped. Dovewing would be there. The pretty she-cat would probably have that moony look in her eyes again that would tell him she had been to see Tigerheart last night. Oh, yes, he knew about her meetings... how did everyone else not see? It was blindingly obvious. Bumblestripe chuckled wryly at the paradox.

As he glanced around, his eyes fell upon an oddly shaped leaf, lying under an elder bush. He twitched an ear curiously and padded a little closer to take a look. It took him a moment to realize that the leaf was slit in the centre, and there was a mouse lying inside.

His senses were instantly on alert. Everyone knew that if a mouse was lying around like that, it was a trap... meaning it was probably full of deathberries, or just plain old rotten. Bumblestripe sniffed the mouse cautiously. It smelled fine, which meant it was probably deathberries. But who would they be for? He wondered. _Me?_ But I'm useless to everyone! Even Millie cares about Briarlight more... so why would an enemy cat want to kill me?

Still thinking furiously, Bumblestripe gingerly turned the mouse over with a claw. It didn't seem like it was stuffed, because the only visible injury was on the back of its neck. So what about... the mouth! He dipped a claw in its open jaws. It came out stained purple.

_Purple?_

"What in StarClan's name is in here?" He asked in confusion as he peered into the mouse's mouth. Five dark blotches were visible, which clearly meant five berries. But deathberries were glossy red, not purple. He'd never seen a purple berry before. So was it poisonous?

Shrugging, Bumblestripe licked his purple claw. Hmmmm... kind of sweet...

A few hours later, Dovewing was padding down the path to the lake, her eyes brimming with happiness. The rain had stopped, Tigerheart had agreed to meet her tonight, and ThunderClan was safe and sound! But wait! What was that dark grey thing lying motionless next to that elder bush-?

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

Okay, this was all part of the quest to rescue Kestrelflight's ruined Hufflepuff reputation ;) and I hate Bumblestripe, so it all came together! Total word count without notes: 647 (kinda short)


	5. 5 Words Challenge - Part 2

Part 2 of Five Words Challenge. 33. Shattered - Dovewing

* * *

The night was soundless. The wind was felt, not heard; the creatures of the night stayed in their dens; the fresh blanket of snow made Dovewing's pawsteps noiseless. Only her panting breaths were heard as she rushed through the ThunderClan territory, on her way to meet Tigerheart on the ShadowClan border. Tonight was a night unlike any other moonless night. For tonight, she would tell him that she was carrying his kits.

She hadn't told anyone else yet. Not even Ivypool or Whitewing. No, this secret was hers alone. Although she suspected that Jayfeather knew; whenever he saw her he snorted in disgust and turned away. But then, maybe that was just him being himself.

A crack echoed through the trees.

Dovewing slid to a halt immediately and looked around, gasping for breath. The run had left her winded. She strained her ears and extended her senses, searching for the source of the noise. After a few seconds, she sighed in relief; a large tree branch several fox-lengths behind her had just splintered off its trunk, and now it bent at an awkward angle towards the path.

"That was scary," She muttered to herself. Even now, more than four seasons after the Great Battle, she was jumpy and nervous at the slightest noise; combined with her heightened sensitivity, it made her life downright torturous sometimes. Thankfully, winter was a cold, quiet season. A season of death and hunger, but also a time of calm and silence.

Slowly, she began trotting, and soon she was running again, although her thoughts weren't quite as free to wander anymore; the cracked branch had put her on edge.

In a matter of minutes, Dovewing had reached the usual meeting place; a small, sheltered clearing, almost at the corner of both their territories. It was as far away from the lake as possible, and therefore few cats wandered here. "Tigerheart?" She whispered, unable to keep a tremor of excitement from her voice.

"Dovewing!" Tigerheart burst out of the bramble bushes on the other side, his voice desperate. "Dovewing, you've got to get out of here!"

"What is it?" She asked in puzzlement, her senses instantly alert again. Quickly, she scanned the area, but everything seemed to be fine.

"It's -" He cut himself off as if choked. "Nothing. Sorry. I thought a ShadowClan patrol was following me."

"You're lying. What is it?" Dovewing repeated, starting to get impatient. There was no one around; why was he so flustered? And, more importantly, why the lie?

"It's nothing. I told you." He seemed to make an effort to relax, his shoulders slumping slightly. He took a few halfhearted steps toward her. "I'm glad to see you again, love."

Deciding not to waste any more time, Dovewing purred and pressed herself to him, her tail twining with his. "I've missed you, Tigerheart."

"Me too." His tail-tip flicked, almost imperceptibly. But Dovewing was _very _perceptive. She drew away from him slightly and pointed an accusing stare into his warm amber eyes.

"What's bothering you, Tigerheart? You seem distracted. Is it another female?" Her voice grew sharp. "Were you meeting someone else here, but you decided to hide her from me? Is is another ThunderClan cat? Ivypool, maybe? Or a _loner?" _The last word came out as a hiss. "Seems a nice spot to meet, doesn't it? All _sheltered _and _safe, _just like you told me."

"No! Dovewing, it's not like that at all!" Now he was agitated again. "It's - invaders!" He finally gasped out, lowering his head and stepping away from her. "I"m sorry. I couldn't do anything."

_"What?" _She whirled around, extending her senses again. "Tigerheart, there's _no one here_!"

"Are you sure?" A new voice said menacingly from the darkness behind Tigerheart. The dark brown tabby tom closed his eyes with despair as a different pair of eyes, glowing a pale orange, slowly stepped into the open.

They turned out to belong to an enormous spotted brown cat. It had tufted ears and a shortish tail; its white paws, however, were huge and had wickedly sharp claws.

Instinctively, Dovewing took a step back, her ears flat against her head. "What - what _are _you?" She whispered.

The cat-like creature chuckled; its laugh sounded like a mix between a cough and a growl. "I am a lynx, child. I am the Omega, or healer if your puny brain doesn't understand that language, from the Tialani Dynasty. I suggest that you step aside... else you risk being killed. My Alpha and his Epsilons are hungry."

"I'm sorry, Dovewing." Tigerheart murmured, raising his anguished gaze to her face. "They found me and forced me to lure you here, because they figured out that I must be waiting for someone. I think they want to atta-"

He was silenced by a powerful blow from the Omega. With a high-pitched whimper, he cowered on the ground, his fur bristling. Normally, he was a fierce warrior; but Dovewing could see that his ears didn't even reach the shoulders of the Omega. He had no chance to fight back. But maybe if she ran...

"I don't think so, child. You see, our ancestors warned us of your strange powers... and I have my own. My Dynasty shall conquer these Clan lands, and we will claim this territory as part of our own." The Omega chuckled again.

Dovewing wanted to scream, to yowl, to do something to warn ThunderClan of these lynxes; but she seemed to be frozen in place. Speechless, she only closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. It was over. How could they fight against this Dynasty? They were doomed.

"Yes. You are." She opened her eyes as the Omega strode towards her and thrust his muzzle into her face. "Lead us back to your Clan camp."

Her world had shattered when the Omega appeared from the shadows. There was no use fighting anymore; she didn't want to be here when her friends, her family were slaughtered. Without stopping to think, she leaped and fastened her jaws into the Omega's throat.

A yowl; blinding pain; silence.

She opened her eyes. There were stars twinkling icily all around her.

* * *

Why do all my characters seem to die?... total word count: 1051.


	6. 5 Words Challenge - Part 3

33. Priceless - Leafstar. 1370 words.

* * *

The waterfall was deafening to Leafstar, roaring only a tail-length away from her face. She winced and flattened her ears, but refused to step away; instead, she continued putting one paw in front of the other, precariously keeping her balance on the slippery wet stones.

A few moments later, she finally spotted what she was looking for: a yawning black hole in the stone wall to her right. She ducked inside the cave, sighing with relief. When Echosong had told her about the sacred ancestor meeting place, she had listened with doubt, only half-believing the impossible: that StarClan, the Tribe of Endless Hunting (whatever that was), the Ice Fields (?), and even cats from the Dark Forest (shudder) could meet in peace, sort of like a Clan Gathering, except for dead cats. However, this cave was proof that at least some of Echosong's words were true. Now it only remained to see whether the starry cats would appear as they promised, on new moon.

Behind her, she heard a muffled yelp. Leafstar spun around and stuck her head out, dreading the worst: however, it was only Billystorm, who had slipped on a puddle but regained his balance just in time. "Are you all right, love?" She asked anxiously.

"I'm fine." He reassured her. "Just a little accident. Ebonyclaw and Tinycloud are right behind me. Patchfoot agreed to stay behind, in case anyone follows us."

"Who would follow us here?" Leafstar laughed gently as she stepped aside to let Billystorm duck into the cave.

He shrugged and shook out his pelt, spraying water everywhere. "I don't know, but I though I scented some strange cats earlier. It's always best to be safe."

"Hey! Watch what you're doing!" She tried to jump back to avoid the drops of water, but there was only a rough cave wall behind her, and her effort failed. "And I agree, Billystorm. StarClan knows what kind of dangers are in this strange forest."

"Right." Billystorm looked around the cave. "This is pretty big, I must say. Bigger that I expected."

"I know." Leafstar copied his actions. The cave was about a hundred tail-lengths deep and twenty tail-lengths high; numerous ledges lined the walls, and there were three tunnels branching out of the back wall. A small stream formed from the spray of the waterfall and trickled rapidly across the floor and vanished into the central tunnel. A few patches of glowing moss covered roof. "It has to be big, though, to fit cats from all four ancestral groups."

"Are you sure cats from those four sky territories meet here?" Billystorm asked dubiously. "I mean, I find it hard enough to believe in StarClan. But what about these others? I've never even heard of a Tribe or the Ice Fields, and the Dark Forest sounds dangerous to me."

Leafstar twitched her ear, betraying her unease. "I don't know, Billystorm," she admitted. "But Echosong says that they summoned us here, and she told us how to find this place. I think we should just trust her judgement."

Before Billystorm could reply, they heard a scuffling, and a moment later Tinycloud tumbled into the cave. "I'm here! I'm fine!" She announced. "Ebonyclaw is coming."

"Good." Leafstar nodded and stepped back to make room for Tinycloud to shake out her pelt. The roaring of the waterfall already seemed muted, as she'd gotten used to it.

"I'm here." Ebonyclaw had appeared from around the bend. She gracefully stepped off the misty path and into the cave, her sleek black fur smooth and unruffled. She was the complete opposite of Tinycloud, who looked like a drowned mouse.

"All right; that's all of us, except for Patchfoot. Are you sure he'll be all right staying out there all alone?" Billystorm glanced questioningly at Leafstar.

She flicked her tail. "I hope so. If we feel like we need him, or when it gets dark, one of us could go fetch him."

"I'll go." Ebonyclaw volunteered at once. "I'm all right with the slippery path, I'll have the least chance of falling. No offense, of course," She added hastily.

"None taken." Leafstar gazed warmly at the daylight warrior. Ebonyclaw had come a way since she first came to SkyClan, and this mission was a way to prove her loyalty once again. Leafstar had purposely taken two daylight warriors and two regular warriors in yet another attempt to soothe ruffled fur, and to prove that daylight warriors were just as capable to go on important missions.

"I suppose we just wait here until nightfall, then? It can't be too far away." Tinycloud meowed. The others agreed to take a nap until sunset, because none of them were very hungry; they'd hunted before they entered the cave.

Leafstar curled up next to the entrance and listened to the roaring of the waterfall until it lulled her to sleep.

* * *

She had barely opened her eyes when she realized that something was different. The cave seemed lighter than before... no, that couldn't be right. It should get darker as the sun set, right?

Which meant that she was dreaming.

"StarClan?" She whispered into the stillness. Suddenly she realised that the roaring of the waterfall was gone. It was still there... but at the same, not there. Leafstar could see the night sky, with the moon shining almost as brightly as the sun, clearly illuminating the cave. Looking around, she also realised that the others were gone.

"Ebonyclaw? Billystorm! Tinycloud!" She yowled. "Where are you? StarClan, what have you done to my friends?!"

"They must go."

She whirled around and came face-to-face with a grizzled elder. She was unfamiliar to Leafstar, but her scent reminded her faintly of Firestar.

"Who are you?" She whispered to the StarClan cat. "Are you alone?"

"There are Ice cats, Dark cats, Star cats, and Tribe cats gathered here tonight." The elder growled. Her stinky breath washed over Leafstar, and the SkyClan leader fought the urge to gag. "Only you are the outsider here."

"But... you called me here." Leafstar frowned in puzzlement. "And I'm a Clan cat."

"No you're not." Another cat spoke up: Spottedleaf. Leafstar opened her jaws to greet the ThunderClan medicine cat happily, but stopped when she saw the coldness in Spottedleaf's eyes. "You are no Clan cat. SkyClan should not exist."

"W-_what?_" Leafstar spluttered. "But - but you led Firestar here! You _wanted _him to create us! What are you talking about, Spottedleaf?"

"We made a mistake." She growled softly. "You were not meant to be. You are an abomination, an abnormality, a disease, that should be removed. You are tainting the warrior code."

"You must either disband your precious Clan or lose all your lives," A dark brown tabby tom with muscular shoulders snarled. His amber eyes bored into Leafstar like shards of ice, and she shivered involuntarily.

The dark grey elder leaned in closer so that her muzzle was right next to Leafstar's. "Disband or die." She hissed.

Leafstar took a step back and flattened her ears. "No! My Clan, my friends, are priceless to me!" She yowled. "I'll never let you destroy them, even if you kill me! Sharpclaw will take my place!"

"Well, we just won't give him his nine lives," The tabby tom mewed indifferently, examining his claws. "And your sacrifice will be wasted. Really, all you have to do is acknowledge that SkyClan is not a Clan anymore. There are too many daylight warriors; the Clan is dying. There are no new recruits. The cats are going to the Twolegplace to feed themselves behind your back. With prey as scarce as it is, how can you believe that their fat bellies are really empty?"

Leafstar felt a chill run through her. No, that couldn't be true... they couldn't be_lying _to her, all this time. "No." She meowed firmly. "SkyClan will not disband, whatever you say."

"Very well." The elder stepped back. "Tigerstar, if you would do the honors..."

Leafstar's last thought was that she hoped Tinycloud wouldn't see the blood.


	7. 5 Words Challenge - Part 4

37. Flicker - Smudge. This takes place before the forest is destroyed.

* * *

Smudge flicked his tail anxiously, feeling his hackles rise. The sinister, gloomy trees stared back at him, unseen eyes silently threatening death if he stepped nearer. He shuddered, imagining the fearsome wild cats ripping his fur if he entered their territory.

With a sigh, he sprang down from the fencepost, Rusty's favorite spot before he went to join ThistleClan, or ThriftyClan, or whatever it was called. Wait - no. ThunderClan. That was it. The shadows of his Twolegs' garden enveloped him, trying to lure him into their embrace... Smudge picked up the pace and trotted quickly to the back porch, where he knew there would be a small door, promising safe shelter, warmth, and food.

Purring softly at the thought of snuggling up to his Twoleg, he butted the cat door. And froze.

The door was locked.

"It's okay," Smudge meowed shakily to himself. "That's all right. It probably... got stuck or something. I'm sure it isn't locked." He pushed the door with his head again.

It didn't budge.

"All right... maybe if I call for John..." Smudge raised his voice to a soft yowl (so as to not wake the neighbors): "John! Hello, John! Tamara! Anyone home? I got locked outside, you see..." He trailed off as he realised that no one was answering.

He whimpered slightly, trying not to think about what could be listening to him, watching, right now. His gaze fell upon the wooden doorframe, and he brightened. John would punish him if he ever found out that he had scratched the wood, but this was an emergency.

Smudge flexed his claws, hissing to himself softly as he realised that they were still dull; he'd visited the vet a few weeks earlier, and the vet had trimmed his claws. Oh, well; it couldn't be helped. He extended his forelegs and dragged his claws across the wood, wincing at the grating noise. There was no response. He did it four more times, and by the time he was done, there were several gouges in the wood that would probably make John livid.

But no one answered.

Now, shivers were starting to shake Smudge's body. He whimpered and curled as close to the door as he could, pressing his ears flat against his head, trying to block out the fearsome night noises. Crickets chirping, Twoleg monsters roaring occasionally, the wind whistling eerily through the creaking branches of the forest trees... everything seemed a hundred times louder than normal. And was that the snap of a twig in his yard?

Smudge raised his head suddenly, hoping to catch the intruder by surprise before he could hide. But there was no one there. However...

...was that a flicker of movement in that pine tree?

He jerked his head violently in that direction, eyes straining to pierce the moonless night veil. He silently cursed the mouse-brained Twoleg neighbours who forgot to turn on their porch lights at night. But the tree was still again.

Smudge wanted to lash his tail and yowl out a challenge to the forest, but his fear kept him frozen in place. All he could do was just lie curled up in a ball, as tightly as possible, and wish, wish, wish for the night to be over...

A flicker of movement, spotted out of the corner of his half-closed eye, this time behind the elderberry bush...

Were those fiery, yet ice-cold blue eyes staring at him from the undergrowth? And what was that strange scent he could smell? Surely it wasn't cat...

* * *

The next morning, Tamara opened her back door as usual, to set out a bowl of raw meat for the big brown dogs she saw wandering around sometimes at night. She knew she shouldn't be encouraging them to come over, as they could be a threat to the nearby children, but they looked so skinny that she couldn't help wanting to feed them.

Sometimes, though, she wondered if they were really dogs. They just seemed so much more... _wild _than any other dog she had ever seen. But of course, there were no coyotes here. Sure, there was a rather large wood right outside the fence, but if there were coyotes, the authorities would notify the residents. And John hadn't said anything, of course.

She was startled out of her thoughts by a tiny, pitiful squeak. Looking down, she gasped. The lump of black and white fur, soaked in blood, could barely be recognised as her precious adopted child, Smudge. She screamed and dropped the bowl with a loud crash; the sound echoed around the silent houses.

John came rushing up, and when he caught sight of all the blood, he nearly retched. However, he kept his cool long enough to call the emergency vet to pick up his cat.

Smudge lived, but his scars never faded.

* * *

word count: 818. I changed it so that he didn't die early, but rather he lived, but with scars. That's better, I guess?... cuz when I first wrote this I was feeling bored and moody, so I made him die of heart failure. Jussayin'.


	8. 5 Words Challenge - Part 5

38. Coughing - Daisy

* * *

"It's greencough!"

The whispered words were like an ice shard, sinking deep into Daisy's soft, gentle heart. She gasped and closed her eyes, feeling tears welling up. After all this time... Rosepetal was going to die of greencough? After she had kits, Vinekit and Mistkit? After she had a loving mate, Foxleap? All of that... lost for her?

"Are you sure?" She hissed at Jayfeather, who was already turning away from her to examine his patient. Rosepetal coughed weakly as he pressed on her chest gently, and the grey cat drew back, frowning.

"I'm quite sure," He snapped. "Can you go tell Firestar I need someone to come with me? I need to collect catmint."

"But what sort of catmint will grow in this cold?!" Daisy cried. Outside, the clearing was covered with a light dusting of snow, and the forest was enveloped in a blanket of stillness. Only this blanket was bitingly cold, not warm like the blankets the Nofurs used to bring her on cold leafbare nights.

"Shhhh!" Jayfeather hissed at her. "We'll have to find what we can. I built a small shelter around the catmint patch, to protect it from the frost, but I'm not sure how effective it was."

Daisy sighed in relief. She knew that Jayfeather was a perfectly capable medicine cat, but it didn't stop her from worrying for Rosepetal. However, if his protection for the catmint had worked, then there would be plenty of catmint to heal Rosepetal.

"But even if there's lots of catmint, we'll need to use it sparingly," Jayfeather continued. "I heard Berrynose and Hazeltail coughing yesterday, and Mousewhisker has a fever."

"What?" Daisy yowled, ignoring Jayfather's hisses at her to be quiet. "But those are all my kits! The next thing you'll tell me is that Toadstep is sick, too!"

At that exact same moment, Toadstep limped in, his nose streaming. "Jayfeather," He croaked, "I think I'm sick. Leafpool said it might be greencough."

"THAT'S IT!" Daisy screeched. "WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE NOFURS IMMEDIATELY! AT LEAST THEY HAVE MEDICINE!"

"Daisy! I must ask you to calm yourself! You're waking the whole camp with your yowling." Bramblestar had appeared in the entrance to the medicine den.

"The whole camp is out on patrol. It's sunhigh," Daisy snapped.

A low hiss interrupted their conversation. "This is the sick den, not a gossip area! If you want to talk, go outside!" Jayfeather snarled. "Toadstep, get over here so I can treat you!"

Bramblestar looked merely amused. "Very well, Jay_star." _He purred. "As you wish."

Daisy snorted, but followed the leader out of the den. When her kits were in trouble, she ceased to be timid and scared and turned into a fearless queen, ready to do anything to protect her family.

* * *

In the end, Bramblestar managed to convince Daisy to stay with ThunderClan a little longer. Part of the reason, of course, was that if she left, they would lose five warriors. Daisy snorted, remembering his pleading. All he cared about was having more warriors than any other Clan, not about the individual needs and wants of said warriors.

Although they probably wouldn't _want _to leave, she thought bitterly. Her kits were too attached to their friends, and their mates. If she left, she'd be alone.

Now, she kept a silent vigil beside the den. Jayfeather refused to let her in after the racket she'd made earlier that day, but as night fell, she sat silently beside the entrance, glowering at anyone who wanted to come in. So far, only Jayfeather and Brightheart disregarded her silent warning. Everyone else felt too intimidated by her, for once - not the other way around.

A rustling next to her made her jump, startled. But it was only Jayfeather; he was pushing his nose out of the den, seeming to stare right at her. "Come in," He growled.

"All-all right," Daisy stammered, surprised. He disappeared back into the den, and she followed his whisking tail.

Inside, it was gloomy, and there was a faint stench of sickness mixed in with the overpowering aroma of herbs. She winced involuntarily as one of her poor kits coughed. "Are they all right?" She asked.

Jayfeather snorted. "All right? Daisy, there is something really wrong with your family."

"Wh-what do you mean?" She asked in confusion. "Wait - don't tell me they're going to die!"

"No. All five of them are going to make a miraculous recovery." He shook his head. "It's ridiculous. I only gave them a little bit of catmint that I found."

"But where's the coughing coming from, then? And the sick smell?"

"Oh, that's Blackstar. He's not feeling well."

"_What?"__  
_

* * *

Yeah, what? Total word count: 802.


	9. Two Random Cats

Two Cats. Meant to do this earlier but got sidetracked...

* * *

"Crowfeather, can I speak to you about something?"

Crowfeather stiffened, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. The voice was half-familiar; it was gentle, sweet, lilting... but at the same time older and lower. He sighed inaudibly as he realised that it wasn't Leafpool speaking, but her mother.

Reluctantly, he turned and said, "Yes, Sandstorm?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you take that tone with me, Crowfeather. I know how you feel about Leafpool, even after all this time. I could see how you two exchanged looks for the last hour. It's a wonder that Nightcloud and Breezepaw haven't noticed yet."

Crowfeather shuffled his paws, feeling awkward. Instinctively, he looked around to make sure no one was listening in, but they were alone. Sandstorm had cornered him in a particularly dense patch of brambles, behind a couple of wide trees. He could hear the sound of cats' paws thrumming on the ground, heading back to the tree-bridge; the Gathering was over. He half-hoped someone from WindClan would see him and call him back. This conversation was way too awkward.

"Crowfeather! I need you to stop!"

"Stop what?" He muttered, knowing perfectly well what she was talking about. Her amber eyes narrowed even further. He couldn't help noticing that they had the same sparkle, the same gentle glow as Leafpool's... he shook his head to clear it.

"Stop seeing my daughter! Crowfeather, you _know _that this can't end well. You need to let her go. Find love elsewhere." She touched his paw with her own.

On impulse, following some strange desire, he suddenly leaned in and pressed his muzzle to her ear. Despite her being a season-cycle older than him, he was taller (although skinnier) than her. She gasped, but to his surprise she didn't protest. Her scent drifted around his nose, sweet and faintly smelling of heather.

_Heather?_

"We-we should go." Crowfeather muttered, jumping back. His eyes widened with horror as he realised what he had done. Sandstorm was a _ThunderClan cat! _And she was _Firestar's mate! Leafpool's mother! _He couldn't do this!

Sandstorm seemed to feel the same way. With an anguished look at him, she spun around and crashed through the undergrowth, heading after the ThunderClan patrol. Her sandy-coloured tail disappeared into the shadows, yet Crowfeather sat motionless, unable to break free of the spell Sandstorm had cast on him.

* * *

The following night found Crowfeather sleepless. However, on this night, his thoughts were not occupied by Leafpool; she was almost gone, her presence only a shadow. Tonight, it was her mother who walked around him, her voice calling, calling...

He got to his feet and started circling in his nest, restless. Around him, in little moss-covered dips in the ground, his fellow warriors slept, under the deep violet sky. He looked around; they all slept soundly, no one had even twitched when he'd stood up. They were used to him leaving for walks along the ThunderClan border in the night, he reflected bitterly. They know my loyalty isn't with my Clan anymore. Well, tonight I'm going to prove them right.

Crowfeather carefully extracted himself from his nest and picked his way through the sleeping cats, heading toward the slope that faced the horseplace, although it was too far away to be seen from here. He knew that the night's sentry would be sitting facing the lake, watching for intruders, not for sleepless warriors trying to get out.

Within a couple of minutes, he was streaking across the hills, his paws light and his nose guided by the faint scent of heather. He _knew, _somehow, that Sandstorm had been having sleepless nights, just as he had. She had come to the stream that was the WindClan/ThunderClan border dozens of times, just like he had. Why? He was about to find out.

When the woods by the stream came into view, Crowfeather slowed his pace. It wouldn't do to come blindly charging in; what if a midnight ThunderClan patrol spotted him? He slunk quietly between the towering trees, almost holding his breath to preserve the silence. Ahead, the faint gurgling of the stream drifted to his ears.

He sank into a crouch as the stream came into view, and scanned the other bank, looking for a cat. His heart leapt in his throat; Sandstorm was sitting directly across from him, watching him quietly.

"You can come out, now, Crowfeather. It's just me." She meowed, a trace of amusement in her voice. Crowfeather got up and awkwardly padded a little closer, then stopped.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

She tilted her head questioningly. "The same reason as you, I think. To figure out what is between us."

"I didn't know ThunderClan cats are usually so direct." He muttered.

"They're not. I am." She gave a soft _mrrow _of amusement. "So what _i_s between us?"

Crowfeather shuffled his paws, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Sandstorm's face. "I-I don't know."

"Well, I think I do." With a grace he'd never seen before in a cat, she leapt neatly across the stream. Belatedly, Crowfeather registered that this was the narrowest, deepest part, so jumping was the easiest way to get across. Then she was on top of him, and they were rolling, rolling down the bank...

They came to a stop when Crowfeather stuck a paw out, barely a mousetail from the rushing water. He was lying, his back pressed into the ground, and Sandstorm had pinned him down... she was _purring._ "Did I take you by surprise?"

"Yes." His voice was deeper, rougher than it usually was. "May I ask what you are doing?"

She laughed and pressed her nose to his. "I think I fell in love with you, Crowfeather. Moons ago. It just took me this long to realise it."

Crowfeather thought back to all the moments he'd had with Leafpool, and to all the times he'd spoken with Sandstorm. He compared Leafpool to her mother, and suddenly everything fell into place. "I've never loved Leafpool," He whispered. "All along, I've been in love with you."

* * *

word count: 1051. I know, their sudden love is really random, but I never said I'm good at romance. And I'm not sure if Sandstorm is in-character... okay, probably not. It was interesting to write though =)


	10. Multiple Personality Disorder

6th challenge!

* * *

The wind howled through the forest, making the dying leaves fly off their wildly thrashing branches like droves of multicoloured butterflies. The screaming and wailing of the elements drowned out all other sounds, flattening ferns and making the driving rain fly almost horizontally. The cats of MossClan huddled in their camp, an old badger den enlarged and converted into an underground cave by the digging of countless cats' paws. No one dared to leave the shelter of their moss-filled dens and dried bracken nests, fearing the retribution of StarClan. Sunflower herself had confirmed this; she had told Fallenstar that their ancestors were angry at all three Clans, for fighting at the Gathering two nights ago.

The MossClan leader had accepted the word of his medicine cat without question. Sunflower chuckled softly in her hiding place under a fallen tree, several tail-lengths outside the camp entrance. He had never suspected that she hadn't spoken to StarClan in moons and moons... that they had abandoned her once they had discovered that Sweetie was nothing more than a veneer. He had never known that it was Sunflower, or, more accurately, Falcon, who had killed her mentor, Tigerlily. But that was moons and moons ago. No one had suspected her then, and no one suspected her now. Sunflower's deadly scheme was still running smoothly.

A loud crash suddenly shook her hiding place. Sunflower let out a startled yowl and shot out from under the tree. And not a moment too soon; one of its supports had broken, and the trunk crashed down the last few tail-lengths directly onto the spot where she had crouched only seconds before. She shivered and shook out her pelt, only now noticing that it had been soaked as soon as she had left her shelter. Muttering irritably, she started to pad away from camp. There was no point in returning now; all the cats would ask how she'd made it through the storm when she herself had told them to hide from StarClan's wrath. No, she had to pretend that she'd gotten stuck in the forest when it started, and waited it out under a bramble bush or something.

_Are you sure this is a good idea? _Falcon asked. _Perhaps you should keep close to the camp entrance, just in case._

Just in case of what? Sunflower asked him irritably. It's fine, I'd rather act like I hid farther away. She leaped over another fallen tree and continued down the wide trail that led directly to the TreeClan border.

_But you'll miss Crookedfang when he leaves on the sunset patrol. He's our next target._

I- Sunflower stopped. A slow pain was starting to build up behind her eyes, and she started to feel faint.

"Oh, no," She murmured. "It's starting, Falcon - you need to hide - Sweetie -"

_I know. _Falcon's voice was already fading. She winced as she heard him screech... inside her head, Sweetie, her gentle, sweet, caring side that made her become a medicine cat in the first place, was starting to take control. Her head was splitting open. As Sweetie filled her ears with a gentle, haunting melody, Sunflower's vision blurred, and she felt the blackness wrap its comforting paws around her...

-x-

Sunflower surfaced quite abruptly from the empty void her consciousness had been floating in while Sweetie took over and pushed Falcon into a deep, dark corner of her mind. She was lying on something rather crunchy, but soft, and her pelt felt cold and soaked.

She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, trying to make sense of her surroundings. The world seemed strangely distorted; the ground was sideways, the trees grew horizontally and the clouds were moving vertically across the sky...

_You must be upside down, _Sweetie murmured. _Why don't you get up? I'm sure the Clan is waiting for you. They must be worried._

You're right, Sunflower thought to Sweetie. With a bit of effort, she sat up, and immediately collapsed again; her head was spinning.

_Take it easy, dear. Perhaps you should find some lavender, and if your head keeps hurting, then some poppy seeds -_

Yes, yes, I know, Sunflower snapped. She sighed deeply and tried again. This time, she managed to sit up successfully and open her eyes with minimal pain. The world seemed oddly bright.

"What happened before I passed out?" Sunflower asked herself aloud. Talking to herself often helped her make sense of the situation. "I think... Falcon was controlling me... and it was raining... and it was windy. That's why I'm soaked! And it's sunny out." She purred, pleased with her results. "The Clan is probably looking for me now. They know I have multiple personality disorder, but they don't know what my second side is, and they must never find out. It's a good thing they didn't find me as Falcon." She sighed, starting to get confused with what happened when Sweetie and Falcon were in charge. "Oh, well, it isn't important. I should go see if anyone else got stuck outside during the storm, and needed to be treated."

With a bit of effort, Sunflower managed to stumble to her paws, shaking out her pelt as if physically removing her dizziness along with droplets of water. The trees tilted alarmingly again, but she managed to keep her balance until they righted themselves. This was the drawback of having split personalities; besides feeling like she was going insane around other cats, there were also terrible headaches, faint dizziness, and even blackouts sometimes.

Sunflower looked up at the sky again. Soft white clouds were scudding across the blue expanse like big white birds, carried by the wind. The sun was painful to look at, so she looked down at the leaf-strewn ground again, blinking to get rid of the spots in her eyes. When she felt better, she finally got a good look at her surroundings.

"Where in StarClan's name am I?" She muttered. The forest looked completely unfamiliar. Vaguely, Sunflower recalled leaping over a tree... heading toward the TreeClan border... but surely this wasn't TreeClan territory? She didn't usually travel _this _far during her little blackouts. (Yes, Sunflower had a notorious habit of sleepwalking; usually an apprentice slept with her at night to make sure she didn't wander off.)

A faint rustling noise startled her. Instinctively, the medicine cat ducked into the ferns, but there was no one nearby. However, as she strained her ears, she thought she could hear the distant sound of cats' voices.

"Vinestar, I think we should head back to camp, to see if the others moved the queens back to the sky-camp yet."

"They'll be fine, Thornpelt. You know how wide the branches are, even the kits will climb up easily."

"Remind me again why we're out here so soon after the storm?" Thornpelt, the TreeClan deputy, asked Vinestar.

"Because we need to see the damage for ourselves, and I heard yowling. A cat might be hurt."

Sunflower stiffened, her eyes wide. They had heard her! But if they still hadn't found her, that meant that not much time had passed. Quickly and as quietly as possible, she slid out from under the ferns and began to make her way in the opposite direction of the voices, assuming that Vinestar and Thornpelt had come straight from their camp and were moving towards the TreeClan/MossClan border.

To her relief, she soon started to recognise her surroundings. There was the tiny stream that trickled through nearly the whole MossClan territory, to feed the Mosspool; there was the oak that had cracked in two during a blizzard, a few season cycles ago. Sunflower relaxed once she passed the scent markers and found the wide trail that led to the underground MossClan camp.

_Hurry, Sunflower! There could be injured cats waiting - we must help them! _Sweetie urged.

I know, I know, you don't have to remind me! But the thought of hurt cats spurred her to go even faster.

A few moments later, she spotted a fork in the path; the main trail made a wide curve, while straight ahead of her, there was a narrow dip in the ground with yet another fallen tree leaning over it. Most cats took the slightly longer route, because it had a nice leaf covering to protect their paw pads, while the shallow dip was strewn with pebbles. But Sunflower, intent on her mission, made a split-second decision to brave the shortcut, even for the price of a scratched paw pad or two.

She ducked under the looming tree and sprinted through the dip. The only thing she could see was the slope rising suddenly ahead of her. That was why she totally didn't expect it when the tree suddenly crashed down on her, extinguishing her life in an instant like a tiny flame.

* * *

1504 words. This story seems kind of clumsily written to me, because I had trouble with imagining how she switches from Falcon and Sweetie, and what it feels like to have them both in her head. And... the ending was kind of abrupt.

Now, for some deleted scenes!

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**A tree falls and narrowly misses Sunflower. Unnoticed, another tree starts to fall straight on top of her.  
**

**" Glad that the tree didn't kill me! I am invinci- " ( dead )**

**(c. Jaypaw)  
**

* * *

Sunflower squeezed her eyes shut and sank to the ground, whimpering as the wind whipped the rain around her and thunder boomed.

Inside her head...

Falcon: MY HEAD! MINE!  
Sweetie: Let's not fight. How about you crawl into a corner and die while I take over?  
Falcon: GET OUT OF THIS MENTAL SPACE YOU STUPID DAUGHTER OF A DOG!  
Sweetie: Ouch, that hurt! Can't we take the peaceful way where you commit suicide?  
Falcon: I WILL KILL YOU! ARRONOMNOMRAMRRROWRARRRRHISS SSSS-  
Sweetie: ALL RIGHT YOU HAVE IT COMING, YOU BIG FAT BALD BIRDIE!  
Sunflower: *faints*

* * *

A faint rustling noise startled her. Instinctively, the medicine cat ducked into the ferns, but there was no one nearby. However, as she strained her ears, she thought she could hear the distant sound of cats' voices.

"Hey, Vinestar. What's that rump doing, sticking out of that fern bush?"

"What rump? Oh, that's just Sunflower, don't mind her."

"Wh-why not? Isn't she an intruder? We have to take her back to camp as a prisoner!"

"Silence, Thornpelt! You will obey your leader! I said don't mind her, so don't mind her."

"Very well, your Stardamned leadership."

"I'm not listening to you. Besides, I'm the one who dragged her in there."

"Why?"

"Because I raped her while she was passed out, and I didn't want you to have a turn, duh..."


	11. Forbidden

Challenge #7. This takes place in the old forest, as if the 2nd series and onward hadn't happened.

* * *

"There you go. That should settle your stomachache. If it doesn't, come back tonight for some juniper and poppy seeds, all right?" Lightpaw mewed, setting a leaf-wrap of horsetail and juniper between herself and her patient.

"Thanks, Lightpaw," Shadepaw meowed, his dark brown eyes glowing with warmth. "You're the best." He flicked her ear with his tail as he picked up the leaf-wrap and left the medicine den.

"You're welcome," She sighed, staring after the black tom wistfully. He was just so _handsome - _and almost a warrior, too. A lot of cats whispered that he was good - _too _good. The ThunderClan apprentice was on his seventh moon of training, something almost unheard of, unless the apprentice in question was really good. Or trained by the leader. In Shadepaw's case, both.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one swayed by his good looks.

"Lightpaw? Was that Shadepaw just leaving the den?" Shimmerpaw, Lightpaw's sister, demanded as she trotted in. "What was he doing here?"

"Of course it was him, mouse-brain," Lightpaw answered, rolling her eyes. "He's one-of-a-kind. And he was here for a bellyache."

Shimmerpaw narrowed her blue eyes. "'One-of-a-kind'? Is something going on between you two?"

"Of course not! That was just a... mistake. He's the only pure black cat in the Clan right now, isn't he?" Lightpaw protested quickly - too quickly. Thankfully, Shimmerpaw didn't seem to notice.

"Well, whatever. You're so _lucky, _Lightpaw! You get to look at him every day when he comes to get his treatment, and I -"

"How did you know about his treatment?" Lightpaw interrupted sharply, her pale ginger fur bristling. Her sister wasn't supposed to know - _no one _was supposed to know! "And he wasn't here for that, anyways! I told you he -"

"Don't worry, Lightpaw, his secret's safe with me," Shimmerpaw interrupted, rolling her eyes. "I'm just observant. And I know what it's for, too; I overheard Yarrowpelt talking about it with him a while ago. He says it's because his heart hurts, or something like that."

"Maybe." Lightpaw mumbled evasively. "Look, I have to go collect some more celandine, Rockflight's eyes are hurting again. Talk to you later, all right?" She ushered her identical sister out of the medicine den, ignoring Shimmerpaw's grumbled protests.

After she made sure her sister was off on a training session with her mentor, Falconwing, Lightpaw abandoned all pretenses of gathering herbs and looked around for Shadepaw. She needed to tell him that Shimmerpaw knew about his heartache, and to make sure he talked to the gossipy apprentice about keeping quiet.

To her dismay, Shadepaw was nowhere to be found. Lightpaw hesitated for a moment, trying to think of a reliable excuse; she wasn't a very good liar. At last, she just decided to go up to Beechstar and tell him the truth.

She padded tentatively to the leader's den and stopped just outside the hanging lichen curtain. ''Beechstar?''

"Come in, Lightpaw," a warm voice answered from within.

Lightpaw hesitated for only a moment, steeling herself, before entering Beechstar's den. "Um, hello, B-Beechstar," she stammered. "I, um, wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" Beechstar asked curiously, sitting up in his feathery nest. He was a rare calico tom, with long, tapering ears and delicate paws. Lightpaw shuffled her paws before speaking.

"Have you - do you know where Shadepaw is?"

"Yes, he went out hunting with Lightningpaw a few minutes ago. Did you need to ask him something?"

"It's about his condition." The words spilled out in a rush. "My sister, Shimmerpaw, was observant enough to notice that he came in every few days for no apparent reason. Frankly, I think she was stalking him like half the females in the Clan." She laughed nervously. "Kind of silly, right? And, well, I just wanted to make sure he knew that she knew. She's a really big gossip, you know, and even though she promised she'd keep it quiet, she'd probably tell half the Clan -"

"That's enough, Lightpaw." Beechstar's whiskers twitched with amusement. "I understand your concern. But I... ah... don't think it's advisable for _you _to go and look for him. I'll tell him right now. You just go back to Yellowpelt, I'm sure he needs you."

"Yarrowpelt," Lightpaw corrected automatically, frowning at her leader. He seemed distracted all of a sudden. And why didn't he want her to go? "It's fine, Beechstar, I'll tell him. I'm free for the afternoon, and I can manage the forest, don't you think?" She asked half-jokingly.

"Well... all right then. Just come back quickly." Beechstar flicked his tail in a clear dismissal. Lightpaw backed away quickly, relieved that the meeting was over, but still curious as to why he seemed so worried about her. He'd never really paid that much attention to her and Shimmerpaw.

It took Lightpaw only five minutes or so to find Shadepaw. She heard him talking and laughing loudly with Lightningpaw moments before she caught sight of them, sitting next to the wide trunk of an oak tree.

"Did you see the look on her face?" Lightningpaw gasped between laughs. "She was _terrified__!"_

"I know, right?" Shadepaw managed to say after a few moments; tears were streaming from his eyes. "Stupid apprentice, wandering onto ThunderClan territory... we showed her, didn't we? An hour to remember." He collapsed with laughter again and Lightningpaw let out another howl of mirth.

Lightpaw felt very confused. What were they _talking _about? Had they seen an intruder and chased her off? But why were they laughing about it? From their words, she was terrified! And why did they say 'an hour to remember'? Strange...

She shook her head to clear it, squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and emerged from her hiding place.

Shadepaw saw her immediately. His grin abruptly disappeared, and he gave Lightningpaw a meaningful look. The golden apprentice nodded curtly to Shadepaw, all traces of mirth gone, and retreated into the undergrowth without even looking at Lightpaw.

"Um... Shadepaw? Is this a bad time?" she asked tentatively. He turned his dark amber eyes to her, and she thought she caught a glimpse of something dark before it was gone as quickly as it came.

"Shimmerpaw, how many times have I told you that _I'm not interested in being mates? _I don't care how often you dangle that secret over my head, I-" He padded a little closer to her and peered into her eyes. "Hang on... you're Lightpaw, aren't you?"

"Er, yes?" Lightpaw said, feeling a little hurt that he couldn't tell the difference between them. Sure, they had the same pale ginger fur, and the same eyes, but Shimmertail had a nick in her left ear! "Is Shimmerpaw... is she really trying to be mates with you?" Her voice came out more hushed than she wanted it too, as if they were discussing a dirty secret.

"Well... to but it bluntly, yes. We're almost warriors, you know - she's only got a moon to go, and of course I'm already on my seventh moon, so Branchstar should make me a warrior any day now. But that doesn't mean we're old enough to become mates - and besides, I don't like her very much." Shadepaw came even closer, so that he was less than a tail-length away from Lightpaw. She shivered slightly, despite the greenleaf warmth, and almost backed away - but stopped herself just in time. This could be her chance! Her chance to finally get him to notice her...

"Oh. I-I agree. She shouldn't be so demanding." She daringly took a step closer, drinking in Shadepaw's scent. It was a mixture of newleaf sweetness and late leaf-fall mustiness - no, even muskiness... he smelled like a delicious squirrel, freshly killed and temptingly enticing. All she wanted was to press her muzzle into his fur, and sniff his scent.

But she knew she couldn't. She was a medicine cat apprentice; she couldn't have a mate! She couldn't feel like this. It was _forbidden._

"I know. That's why I like you better." He sidled even closer, lowering his eyelids and twining his tail around hers. "I mean, I know I shouldn't be saying this, since you're the medicine cat apprentice, and everything, but I can't help how I -"

"Shhh. Don't say that. Just forget about everything," Lightpaw purred, flicking her tail against his muzzle. She felt bold, excited, and fearful at the same time - but there was also the thrill of doing something she'd never done before, breaking the rules... it was exhilarating.

"I couldn't." He rubbed his muzzle against her shoulder, purring even louder than she was. "But I'll try. Although, I might require some assistance..." he trailed off meaningfully, as if it was some kind of cue. But Lightpaw wasn't listening.

"Let's run away," she blurted out. "Let's run away so we can be together. I can't... I can't be like this, with you but unable to show it. I'll die from agony." She put her paw on his and gazed deep into his eyes, almost melting from happiness.

"But... it's forbidden?" It came out as more of a question than a statement, as if Shadepaw was daring her to contradict him. And she did.

"I just love you too much to let you go. Shimmerpaw doesn't deserve you. We have to be together, Shadepaw."

As she declared the fateful words, her whole life seemed to flash before her. Being in the nursery, with their sick mother, Featherflight; playing with Shimmerkit and Jaykit, who became Jaypaw four moons ago; mourning Featherflight's passing; sitting proudly next to Yarrowpelt as Branchstar declared her a medicine cat apprentice; meeting StarClan; falling in love, yes, _love, _with Shadepaw; her quarrels and distance from Shimmerpaw; the estrangement of her and her father, Thornheart. Yarrowpelt was young, he'd find a new apprentice. Maybe he'd miss her, and Shimmerpaw would be sad for a little while; she would miss them too. But in the space of a few minutes, she'd had a life-changing discovery. Shadepaw was her life now. And she was willing to give all of that up for him.

"Good." Shadepaw's curt nod jerked her from her reminiscing. Lightpaw looked up at him, confused, as he stepped away from her and nodded to something behind her. She turned and saw Lightningpaw, crouching in the bramble bush behind which she'd been spying on them earlier.

"Wh-what are you doing, Shadepaw? And Lightningpaw? Why were you eavesdropping?" Lightpaw felt herself starting to panic; Lightningpaw would ruin everything! He'd probably tell Branchstar, and Yarrowpelt would call upon StarClan to stop her, and she'd never live down the humiliation -

"Stupid she-cat," Shadepaw hissed, all traces of warmth gone. "I was using catmint on you. Lightningpaw, hold her down while I stuff the poppy seeds into her ugly face. Let's get this over with."

"What?!" Lightpaw tried to take a step away from both of them, but Lightningpaw had already leaped. He pushed her down easily with his greater bulk, and ignored her struggles as Shadepaw withdrew a small leaf-wrap from behind the oak tree. She couldn't believe this was happening: what had happened to running away, and being together?

"Here you go, sweet. You won't remember a thing, until the rest of the Clan realises you're pregnant, of course. Then you'll be kicked out... but don't worry, I'm sure our kits will make fine warriors," Shadepaw sneered.

"WHAT? LET ME GO!" Lightpaw screeched, but Shadepaw stuffed the poppy seeds into her mouth while it was still open. The last thing she saw before the world turned dark was Shadepaw's ugly face. Dimly, she registered that poppy seeds shouldn't work this quickly... had they given her too much?... what if she... oh, StarClan...

She closed her eyes, and all she saw was stars forevermore.

* * *

Yaaaaa. Something went a little wrong there. Twisted story: accomplished... word count: 2063 (record!).


	12. Trained by a Different Species

1545 words. Dolphins.

* * *

I am Fire. It's an ironic name, really, because all my life I've lived in the water. Sorry - not quite _in _the water, but on a tiny island several hundred dolphin-lengths from the shore, that only had a few stunted trees and bushes. But that's all right, because I'm safe here. With my dolphin pod all around me, and me being able to swim three hundred dolphin-lengths without tiring.

I lean over the dark blue water, drinking in the salty scent. My rippling reflection stares back at me, a dark brown blotch with blue eyes paler than the sky and white lightning-like streaks on my face. The sandy floor is barely visible, because the sun is going down soon. I have to catch my dinner before it becomes too dark to see the fish.

A flicker of movement catches my attention. I peer closer, straining to see what it was. To my delight, I spot a rather large trout swimming unevenly through the shallows. It must be hurt by one of those Pink-skins! They often sit on the shore and cast long ropes of thin, dark stuff that has a red ball on the end, and a hook with a worm that the fish eat. Then the fish get impaled on the hook, the Pinkskins drag it back to shore, and then eat it. Nala, the dolphin who was my mother since I was a tiny kit, told me all of this a long time ago.

I crouch and tense my back legs, preparing to spring on the unsuspecting fish. I have to time it carefully, so it doesn't swim away, and I'll know I can reach it in one leap... it comes closer, closer...

I leap at it with a snarl. It tries to reverse direction, flailing wildly with its tail for a few seconds, before I splash into the water, hooking my claws into its scales. I end its misery with one quick bite that severs its head.

"Good catch!" A dolphin's chirp hails me. I raise my head high above the water, trying to see who had spoken. Oh - it was Kostya, the smallest and darkest dolphin in the pod. He is one of my best friends, and he always tells me interesting stories about the places he'd been when he was still a tiny calf. I waved my water-soaked tail eagerly in his direction, unable to call out due to the fish in my mouth.

"Are you planning to eat that, or are you going to float around waving your tail idiotically?" Kostya jokes as he swims closer. "Because I'm feeling kinda hungry."

"Not a chance!" I respond, spitting the fish out into the water and grabbing it with my claws again. "I'm taking it back to shore and eating it. You can watch me eat - maybe you can even turn green with envy, I'd love to see a green dolphin."

"Yeah, yeah." Kostya snorts, water flying out of his blowhole. "Anyways, I didn't just come here to visit. I have an important announcement for you - Brel told me to tell you myself. She'll be coming over soon."

"Why?" I ask curiously, padding out to shore again. Brel was the oldest dolphin in the pod - she _never _came to see me, partly because it was too close to shore and the Pinkskins for her liking.

"Well... Jer said he saw a few Furskins - sorry, cats - in the area, and they looked a lot like you. Of course, to him all cats look the same -" Kostya rolls his small eyes - "but one of them was brown like you, one was a lighter brownish-red like the sunset sky, a couple were the same colour as a dolphin... anyways, he thought maybe they might know who you are."

"R-really?" I stammer weakly, biting into my fish to cover my dismay. This was _not _good. I'd spent my whole life with my dolphin pod, and they were my only friends and family. I held no ties to the rest of my species. But I'd always known that if they ever found my kin, they'd take me to them. Brel had told me that once I was old enough to understand. However, I'd never really taken that as a serious threat, as the shore was a rather desolate place; the Pinkskins who came never stayed for too long, and they only came in warmwater and brightwater, the two warmest seasons in the year.

"Yeah. I really hope they aren't... you know... well, I just don't want you to leave," Kostya finally says. "You've always been fun to hang around, and you're a darn good fisher, too."

"Thanks," I meow, slightly surprised. Kostya didn't usually show this much emotion.

A loud splash cut off our conversation. I looked up from my fish in time to see five dolphins surface a few dolphin-lengths away. One of them was clearly Brel; she was the largest in the group. The others were large males, but I only recognised Veel. He was a stuck-up young dolphin, arrogant and rude. I hoped he wasn't here to see me sent away. Kostya shrinks back into the deeper water, looking intimidated.

"Fire. The Furskin, or cat, who made dolphin history by being the first of your kin to join a dolphin pod," Brel chirps imperiously. I'm not sure how such a happy sound can be so haughty and cold, but I guess it's a Brel thing. "I'm afraid your time with us has come to an end."

"But - wait - what?" I ask in shock. My eyes grew wide. Sure, I hadn't expected anything good, but... this was just so _sudden! _It was like she was eager to make me leave!

"We have confirmed by observation that there are six cats on the shore at this moment, currently residing in a cave. You must join them. We swore long ago that we would return you if we would ever find your kin. I am sorry, but dolphin law dictates that this is how matters must stand. I will take you to the shore myself. You may say your goodbyes now."

"But-!" I choke on my own words. What was this? There were so many dolphins I had to say goodbye to! There was Huny, and Unov, and Gins, and Cory, and Irin, and Eless... "Do I have to leave? Can't the law be... bent, or something? I mean, I lived with you all my life! You can't just kick me out like this!"

"I can, and I will," Brel says coldly. "Say goodbye to Kostya and climb onto my back."

"I'll swim with Kostya, if you will," I reply, just as coldly. I was no calf to be coddled with free rides. I could hold my own with my pod, if it was the last thing I ever did with them.

Brel snorts, but agrees with a reluctant nod. I leap effortlessly into the water again, my soaked pelt warming up again almost immediately. Kostya joins me by my side, and we take what might be my last swim forever... together. The rhyme makes me chuckle softly.

"What's so funny?" Kostya asks.

"Oh, I was just thinking of... I don't know. Something stupid." I try to shrug, but of course that doesn't work in the water. We are only fifty dolphin-lengths from the shore, and I can see the dark gaping hole that is the cave, just barely outlined in the dark mass that is the cliff. It is low tide, so the entrance isn't swamped by water. I'd been in it once or twice, but there's nothing really interesting, only a very faint scent of badger that must be seasons old.

"This is where we leave you." Brel announces suddenly. I jump (as much as that's possible in the water) and look around, startled to find that while I had been lost in my thoughts, we'd reached the shore. Kostya swims around me a few times, snorting. I can just hear a faint keening that must be a lot louder underwater.

"Well... I guess this is goodbye then, Kostya." I paddle to his side and rub my muzzle against his face, feeling the smooth skin for the last time. "I don't think we'll see each other again... except in the Sky pod." The afterlife.

Kostya's keening becomes even louder, so it's even more clear above the water. "I'll miss you," he chirps sadly.

"Me too. Goodbye." I give him one last lick of farewell, and hastily climb out onto the wet sand. I want to look back, but I know that the sight of my beloved ocean and the tiny speck of my island will probably make me want to stay forever. So I shake out my water-logged pelt, square my shoulders, and pad into the forest staring at me with unseen eyes.

Behind me, I hear one last cry of sorrow, and then the night is still.

* * *

*sob*

I was going to make Fire meet Brambleclaw's group and immediately dislike everyone but Crowfeather, but I felt melancholy as I finished this, so I left it here.

By the way, has anyone guessed what Fire's gender is?


	13. Mutated Cat

I felt like writing something stupid/funny, so I totally failed the Mutated Cat challenge :P

714 - face of a Twoleg (936 words)

* * *

Facekit was sad. His head was horribly mutated. While other cats, like Brokenface, had beautiful muzzles and eyes and noses and mouths, he had a horribly small, squished face of a Twoleg. At least his head fit the size of his body, and at least he had cat ears. But his eyesight was horrible, and he couldn't smell anything _at all _with his sad excuse for a lump of a nose.

He hated his life.

Facekit was sad. He was sad because his head and face were horribly mutated. Glimmerkit, Sparkkit, and Killerkitthesecond always laughed at him whenever he went outside, and the rest of ThunderClan tried to avoid him. Even Freakyflower, a cat with no you-know-whats, who was also a tom, who still somehow managed to give birth to a kit (Facekit), hated him. And he was Facekit's own mother! Or father, whatever. Facekit wasn't entirely sure.

Facekit sighed and burrowed deeper into the moss. _Maybe I can suffocate myself!_ he thought gleefully. _But wait, then StarClan would shun me, and then I'd go to the Dark Forest, where my other father/mother/something, Killerkitthefirst (formerly known as Killerkit), went, and then I'd just kill myself, and then I'd die. That's so sad!_ he thought. _I don't want to die. I want to eat the moon!_

Someone sighed nearby. "Bananas and jellybeans totally don't go together," a she-cat's voice said. Obviously, it was Fatsquirrel, a thin, lithe she-cat who had twenty-nine kits to date and fifteen mates, all of whom were related to her in some way. She was standing outside the nursery entrance. Facekit burrowed deeper into the moss in the corner of the den, cursing his giant nose with its enormous nostrils that prevented him from asphyxiating.

"I know, right? And did you see ThunderClanstar's new outfit? He looks like a total Twoleg!" the rough voice of Xylophonemaniac, Fatsquirrel's brother and latest mate, replied. "Of course, that's what he gets for having siblings as parents. Total genetic overkill, plus his brain's addled."

"Cats don't know what brains are! You're so stupid!" Fatsquirrel snapped. "And stop insulting me! We're not mates anymore! Go die!" Facekit winced as he heard the sound of claws tearing into flesh. Fatsquirrel was killing her fifteenth mate! That made sixteen deaths, including herself. Of course, when she was a StarClan cat, she found the power of immortality and brought herself back to life so that she could expand ThunderClan's population.

**"STOP KILLING YOUR MATES, YOU DUMB, STUPID FOXHEART!"** someone yowled. It was ShadowClanstar! She was the leader of ShadowClan, and she killed 128 cats to date, which was 6 times how many cats Fatsquirrel killed! ShadowClanstar was a total celebrity in ThunderClan, feared and admired for her kills. Facekit abruptly stopped trying to suffocate himself and ran outside to see the giant moose standing in the middle of the ThunderClan camp.

Already, the 128 (formerly 129) members of ThunderClan (not including ThunderClanstar, who wasn't included in the member count anyways because he was stupid) were crowding around the giant moose named ShadowClanstar, begging for hoofprints as autographs. They were waving around bank checks and cash stolen from RiverClanstar, the business executive who was also the leader of RiverClan who was also a magnolia.

Facekit decided to talk for the first time in his life. "HEY, SHADOWCLANSTAR!" he shouted. "CAN YOU PLEASE KILL EVERYONE IN THUNDERCLAN? THEY'RE ALL SO STUPID AND KILLERKITTHESECOND WANTS TO KILL ME BECAUSE I HAVE THE FACE OF A TWOLEG! AND PLEASE KILL THUNDERCLANSTAR ESPECIALLY BECAUSE HE'S A MONKEY AND MONKEYS FREAK ME OUT!"

**"OF COURSE!"** ShadowClanstar mooed. She made two giant sweeps of her antlers and jumped around a couple times for good measure. The next second, her killing cat total rose from 128 to 256. Then, she stepped on the leader's den, killing ThunderClanstar the monkey instantly, so now her killing cat total was 257. Facekit was more impressed than ever.

"Hey, ShadowClanstar! Can you take me with you? I want to be super brave and powerful like you!" Facekit begged, batting his abnormally long eyelashes and puckering his fat, puffy red lips. (_Cats don't even have lips, anyways,_ he thought angrily.)

**"Actually, I was going to kill myself, because my conscience suddenly caught up with me and I have PTSD and lots of trauma from the deaths of the cats I have killed,"** ShadowClanstar explained. **"So I'm going to go Antarctica, even though moose can't fly, and burn to death. Do you still want to come with me?"**

Facekit thought about it for a moment. "Nah," he said finally. "I think I"ll just go build a nuclear bomb."

**"Okay, have fun!"** ShadowClanstar boomed. Then, she grew giant airplane wings and flew away.

Facekit sighed. "Okay, how do I build a nuclear bomb?" he asked himself. "Oh, I know! I'll turn into a Twoleg and become smart." He did just that. "Okay, now I'm going to build a nuclear bomb." He built a nuclear bomb. "Okay, now I'm going to detonate it." He did that, too. "Okay, now I'm going to find my brain!" Facekit looked around, but he couldn't find his brain anywhere in the mushroom cloud that had gone up when he'd detonated his bomb. "Fine, be that way, brain. I don't need _you._" Then his cat side took over, and Facekit turned back into a mutated cat and killed himself.

The end!


	14. Acceptance

My first StormClan challenge. 2, 22, 42.

* * *

I blinked, watching the cool, dark blueness swirl softly all around me. My eyes were wide-open in wonder. I'd never really appreciated how _beautiful _the world is; how prettily the sun sparkles on the tiny fish darting all around me, the way the rushes softly caress my fur. It's such a shame that I never truly saw all the loveliness around me... until it was all going to be taken away.

I knew that I was going to die. And you know what? That was alright. My old life in StormClan seemed like a distant dream. I barely remembered blurred faces, smudged surroundings, fading memories... the inky blueness swirled around me, and I sighed, letting go of the last remaining air in my lungs.

At this point, my chest was starting to hurt. The rest of my body hadn't caught up with my peaceful acceptance of death. I frowned a little, distracted from my thoughts by the persistent pain, and wondering why StarClan hadn't come to take me away yet. Didn't they promise that this would be painless? Almost like falling asleep? Why could I still feel anything, when it was supposed to feel like just a dream?

_Yes... just another dream..._

That voice wasn't mine. It didn't come from my head. I blinked again, and moved my head slightly to look around. My eyes stung a little, but I didn't notice, because I suddenly recognised that the silt on the river bottom was sifting, slowly taking the shape of a small cat. In the space of a few seconds, the faint form of my old apprentice appeared in front of me. I waved my tail at him in greeting. A few bubbles escaped from my nose and drifted up, up to the surface where no one was waiting for me to come back.

It was all so peaceful.

_Echofeather, _Berrypaw whispered in my ear, his voice like a dry hiss, contrasting the soft, cool water all around me. _You must... you must return..._

What do you mean? I asked him without opening my mouth. Somehow, I knew that he'd hear me anyway. StarClan told me that it was my time to die, and that it would be painless and -

_You must not die... Echofeather... it is too soon... _His voice was more insistent now, matching the more insistent pain in my lungs. I damped down the instinct to inhale water and tried to move my paws, tried to regain the wonderful feeling of belonging and beauty, but it was gone now.

But StarClan told me! I protested, a little angrily. I have to die, to follow my destiny...

_No... _Berrypaw seemed to sigh softly, and his sand-form shifted. _Please... rise up to the_ surface..

I tried to reply, but my vision was turning black at the edges. Where was the blueness going?

_Too late... too late..._ he whispered in my ear.

I blinked again, and stars danced, silver and black and blue... and black... and blue...

* * *

"Echofeather?"

I hadn't realised that my eyes were closed. Somehow, watching the dance of stars all around me had become the waking world, while the world of other cats was but a dream... such an awful dream, a nightmare, even, compared to my stars...

"Echofeather! I know you can hear me! Wake up!"

With great reluctance, I surfaced from my memories and opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the night sky: a full moon gleamed right above me, surrounded by twinkling jewels.

The next thing I saw were the trees. They towered over me like silent guardians of the sacred hunting grounds.

The third thing I saw was a brown head, leaning over me with worry in its amber eyes.

"Hello, Berrypaw," I purred to my apprentice.

"Echofeather! You're awake!" He breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back, allowing me to get up. I did so, noting that I wasn't tired at all after dying: in fact, I felt like I'd just slept for a moon, and I could run forever, to the edge of the world and beyond.

"Did I die?" I asked Berrypaw calmly. I was surprised that my voice sounded smoother, gentler, almost... like the echo of a song. I chuckled slightly at the reference to my name.

"Yes... but Echofeather... don't you remember anything?" he asked me uncertainly. "You were drowning..."

I nodded. "I know. StarClan told me that would happen, and I -"

"But it _wasn't _supposed to happen!" Berrypaw exclaimed suddenly. "You weren't supposed to die! You still had your whole life ahead of you! I saw it in the -" he stopped suddenly, as if afraid to give something away. "I didn't want you to join me yet," he finished weakly.

I gave him a puzzled frown. "StarClan told me that to follow my destiny, I had to leave the living world," I said. "So I made it happen."

"Exactly!" Berrypaw looked like he was going to continue arguing, but a rustling from the nearest bush made him stop. "Look, I don't have much time, alright? I'm supposed to give you your immortal name - your StarClan name - but that will bind you to these skies forever, and I don't want that to happen until you've had a chance to see what you missed! To see that you really did have a choice, and that you could still change it while it's not too late!"

"I can become alive again?"

"Well -" He hesitated. "Maybe. But we have to hurry. As long as Scourgestar doesn't find -"

He choked and fell silent as a tiny black tom emerged from the bushes that had been rustling earlier. I dipped my head to him, recognising him as a leader of StarClan. He gave me a cold look with his brilliant, ice-blue eyes, and then turned to Berrypaw. I shuddered instinctively when I heard his grating mew, then wondered why a StarClan cat would look so menacing...

"Berrypaw. Have you given our newest visitor her name?" Scourgestar (for that was undoubtedly who he was) asked softly. "I'd hate for her to have to wait for this great honour..."

Berrypaw almost cowered. "N-no, Scourgestar. I'll do so immediately." He turned to me and pronounced in a halting mew, "Echofeather, by the powers of the Ice and Moon..."

I wasn't really listening. Instead, I mulled over our conversation, thinking about what Berrypaw had said. Was it true? Had StarClan really lied to me? Could I have avoided my death, somehow, instead of throwing myself into the stream like they'd told me to...? They said it was my destiny... but they could've been wrong...

StarClan, wrong...?

"...I give you your name, Echostream."

My eyes widened as I felt a cold chill pass through me. It was almost like the name had entered my very being, swirling around and making me feel sick as it shot through me like a cold wind, until it came to a halt next to my heart.

Scourgestar's eyes glinted in the moonlight. "Very good. Thank you, Berrypaw; you are dismissed."

My former apprentice gave him a nod and a scared look, before fleeing into the undergrowth. I stared after him with an unsettled feeling. Something wasn't quite right here.

"Scourgestar..."

But something stopped the words from coming out. Almost of their own accord - no, _of their own accord - _my legs sank down into a bow, and before I knew what was happening, I was baring my throat to Scourgestar, who was walking forward, slowly but purposefully. Like he _knew _this would happen.

"Very good, my dear Echostream... you will make an excellent minion..." he said ominously, reaching forward to touch his nose to my forehead. "And now, I'm afraid I must take your memories... sleep, my child, for you'll remember nothing forevermore..."

And my light winked out like a flame.

* * *

I wonder if anyone noticed my usage of alliteration and some repetition in the beginning part.


	15. Murder

My first SparkClan challenge. Murder - 17.

* * *

"I want her dead by dawn."

I nodded, my whiskers shaking slightly. "Yes, Minnowstar. I'll... I'll try my best."

"I should hope so." Minnowstar's amber eyes glinted in the darkness of her cave-den. I dipped my head again as a sign of respect, and shuffled out of the den, keeping my throat exposed as a sign of submission. Basically, it demonstrated that I, her best (and only) assassin, was completely at her mercy, and she could kill me whenever she felt like it.

I knew that I looked ridiculous, with my hindquarters wagging around, but it was worth it to see the approving look on Minnowstar's face. I breathed a sigh of relief once I was back in the sunlight, knowing that despite the humiliation, I could live another day. Unlike some other unlucky soul in RiverClan, who would be killed tonight when Minnowstar would inevitably have one of her bad moods.

Unlike Greywing, who would be dead by dawn. Courtesy of me.

A cold wind blew around the camp, rustling the reeds of the den walls. I shivered slightly, ruffling my blue-grey fur, and looked around camp. Two rogues were smirking at me from next to one of the mercenaries' dens, obviously laughing at my ridiculous display. I shook my head and continued looking. The former medicine den, which had been converted into an apprentice training area, had one of the two half-deputies - Petalfur - sitting next to it, washing herself. Across from the entrance, a new cave had been dug out - that was supposed to be the new medicine den, but even Mothwing was hesitant of going in there, because of the rumors that Reedwhisker's mutilated body had been buried in there. Currently, the "real" medicine den was functioning outside of camp. I shook my head, disappointed at the state of the camp. I still remembered the golden days of Crookedstar, when cats' bellies were full and the greenleaf evenings were lazy.

This greenleaf couldn't be more different.

* * *

The predawn mist shimmered faintly in the growing light. I fidgeted impatiently, waiting for Greywing to go out on her customary morning run. Why was she taking this long? What if she didn't even come out at all? What if I missed my chance, and it would be my own head displayed outside of Minnowstar's den, instead of hers?

A faint rustling told me that something was approaching. I stiffened and pricked my ears, straining to hear. Yes, it sounded like the thudding of paws. For the hundredth time in the last five minutes, I sniffed the air, but the air was as still as ever; no new scents reached my nose, even though there was undoubtedly a cat coming closer and closer, its paws thrumming on the moist soil.

Wait, no... a sweet tang of honey, permeating the air. I sniffed again, but only caught a disappearing trace of it before it was gone.

_Was that Greywing?_

My tail trembled with ill-suppressed anxiety, mixed with the customary excitement that came before I went in for the kill. It repulsed me, most of the time, but when I allowed the lust for blood to take over with it... well, there was a _reason _I hadn't yet failed a single assignment.

"Can't catch me!"

I froze in shock, recognising the voice immediately. It was Pouncetail! Minnowstar's mate... well, okay, forced mating partner for heirs... but what was he doing out here? Wasn't he supposed to be in Minnowstar's den for the night?

"Oh, yes I can!" And _that _was unmistakably Greywing. My paws went cold, and I realised that I'd have to commit two murders this morning, not one. It wouldn't do for anyone else to know that Minnnowstar's mysterious assassin was _me._

I listened carefully, judging exactly when Pouncetail would shoot past my hiding place - he was clearly in the lead, as his voice was much closer. A quick slice to the neck... he wouldn't feel a thing...

Rustling. Pawsteps. Shrieks of laughter.

I closed my eyes, prayed to our forgotten ancestors.

And I lunged.

Pouncetail barely had time to call out - I was already on top of him, my deadly claws slicing at his tender flesh. I didn't let myself get lost in the moment, though; the main murder was still waiting. I quickly twisted around Pouncetail's limp body so that the blood from the death wound gushed onto the place where I knew Greywing would pass, seconds later... she'd slip up and -

"Pouncetail? Where are - AAAH!"

Greywing shrieked as the dead tom's body came into view. At the exact same moment, she slipped in the pool of blood, and I dropped the corpse and leapt at her. To my surprise, she gave me some resistance - feebly clawing at my stomach fur as I tried to press her down so that I could give her a clean wound. Minnowstar _hated _when their heads or faces were damaged, as they were deemed too ugly for display.

After a few intense seconds of struggling, I managed to snap my jaws closed around her throat. I tasted blood, and bile rose up in my throat as the hungry, insatiable, _murderous _side of me longed to swallow some of the hot liquid. I spit it out and stepped back, watching as Greywing's lovely, downy fur was soaked with red, and as her pretty blue eyes grew wide with terror when she realised what was happening.

"M-M-Misty... Mistyfoot..." she whispered. "Please... w-why..."

I ignored her plea and turned away, a lump growing in my throat, as I listened to her gasp once before finally lying still. Horrible guilt welled up inside of me, but I pushed it down, hardening my already icy-cold heart.

The scent of honey wreathed around me again, as if an invisible cat's pelt had brushed against mine, leaving its faint scent.

I was only surviving, after all.


	16. Love over Loyalty

First ImagineClan challenge! Challenge #21, Love over Loyalty: 15, N, O

For the purposes of this story, pretend that these cats are much more advanced than the normal Clans and can make ice swords (or blades, daggers, whatever), dig snow tunnels, and learn the languages of other animals, among other things.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Ashstar?"

"Yes, I did, dearest Rowanflame. I wanted to speak to you about the succession of this Clan."

Rowanflame blinked, both in surprise and to adjust her eyes to the dimness of the leader's cave. "I would do anything for DeathClan, Ashstar. But I have a mate, so I am unable to become deputy."

Ashstar flicked his jet-black tail impatiently. "Rowanflame, I named you not only for my mentor, Flamestar, but also for the brightness of your mind. Don't you think that if I'd wanted you to be my heir, I'd have schooled you in the art of leadership _and _prevented you from loving Iceblade? No, I need you as an adviser to Eaglespirit. He is a brilliant fighter and commander, but he needs someone wise to turn to. As you know, I am on my last life, and I won't have time to try and tame his hotheadedness."

Rowanflame dipped her head, feeling secretly relieved that she wouldn't have to split up with Iceblade. The thought was too difficult to bear. "Of course, Ashstar, I will assist him in any way I can."

He nodded. "Excellent, my dear. You may go."

She backed out of the den, flinching as always when the hanging moss brushed against her back. As soon as she left the den, she gave a bounce of excitement and bounded to the warriors' den, too filled with happiness to care about the annoyed looks some of the older cats gave her.

"Iceblade! Iceblade!" she called softly, sticking her head into the snow tunnel that led to the den. "Are you in there?"

"I'm coming, Rowanflame," a low mew replied from somewhere up ahead. "What's gotten into you today?"

"Oh, I'm just so happy!" Rowanflame purred when she saw the love of her life emerge from the tunnel, blinking in the bright moonlight that reflected off the surrounding snow. "Ashstar asked me to -"

But she didn't get to finish her sentence, as a fierce yowl rang out from the night, echoing on the mountain slopes.

"FrostClan, attack!"

Rowanflame barely had time to gasp in horror as a wave of cats appeared from the darkness, their eyes gleaming as brightly as the newly fallen snow.

"DeathClan, defend yourselves! Protect the queens and the elders! Kill as many as possible!" Ashstar yowled from the middle of the camp, springing onto the Highcliff. "We cannot lose to FrostClan, or they will disband us forever!"

The DeathClan warriors gave answering yowls as they sprang from their dens. Rowanflame saw Snowfeather and Nightfang streaking towards the nursery, intercepting two enemy FrostClan cats, while Rocktail and Eaglespirit himself helped Ashstar rally the rest of the warriors. Fierce cries echoed across the mountain slopes like thunder as the two Clans clashed in a deadly battle.

"Iceblade, we have to stick together, or we might lose each other!" Rowanflame yowled over the noise, leaning towards her mate. "Let's defend the elders!"

"There's no need, Hawkfur's got it!" Iceblade answered, unsheathing his claws and baring his teeth at the intruders. "Let's go join Eaglespirit to rip out some fur!"

Rowanflame nodded and streaked after him as he sped off into the midst of the battle.

The next ten minutes were a whirlwind of claws, fur, fangs, and blood. At one point, Rowanflame almost fainted from horror when she thought she saw an attack snake on one of the FrostClan cats' shoulders, but it was only a trick of the shadows. If FrostClan had brought the deadly adders that they were known for befriending, then the battle would be crushingly over.

No matter how hard she tried, though, Rowanflame couldn't keep Iceblade in her sighs. One moment, she was tearing at the throat of a spotted she-cat, while he clawed at her stomach; the next, he was tail-lengths away, fighting a huge black tom. She looked away for a moment too long, and he was gone.

"Iceblade!" Rowanflame yowled, slicing through a cat's skin like water. "Where are you?!"

Suddenly, a horrible feeling settled into her chest, as if something very, very terrible had just happened. Something unthinkable.

_"Iceblade!"_

She fought like she'd gone insane, a spinning vortex of death and anger, with only one thought to guide her; she needed to get to him, because something had gone wrong and he was dying, or worse, dead -

But the cats kept coming, cutting her off from seeing anything besides her opponent. Rowanflame kept looking around desperately as she clawed and bit, ignoring the pain of her numerous wounds, but still she couldn't find Iceblade anywhere.

Miraculously, though, at one point an opening appeared through the screeching cats. Rowanflame somehow knew that it would lead her to the one she needed above all other things, so she took it, ducking around enemies and friends alike. She no longer cared about killing FrostClan cats. She needed to find her mate.

And there he was.

Iceblade was pinned to the ground by his throat, struggling with a tiny tortoiseshell she-cat. Rowanflame's stomach dropped like a stone when she realised who this was: the infamous Spottedleaf, deadliest fighter in all eight mountain Clans. Only she would be able to pin Iceblade like that, with seemingly no effort. And yes - there was the ever-present adder, coiling around her neck, reaching towards Iceblade to deliver the killing bite -

Rowanflame didn't stop to think. She lunged.

_"Not so fassst, precioussss!"_

The next thing she knew, she was on the ground, with a snake coiled around her throat. Disbelief flooded her as she looked at Spottedleaf, who was still leaning over Iceblade, grinning cruelly - but her snake was gone. It had only pretended to bite Iceblade, as it was waiting for her to leap forward. And she had fallen for it like a fool.

"Rowanflame! NO!"

A new voice had rung out from only a cat-length away. With growing dread, Rowanflame looked around and saw Ashstar, similarly pinned down by a huge black adder. The snake was staring at her in the eye, flicking its tongue.

"What do you want?" Rowanflame asked all three of the enemy creatures, not sure which one was really in charge here. She'd never seen the black adder before, but suspected that a snake that large could only belong to Skystar.

"We wanted to isolate the three strongest warriors that DeathClan has," Spottedleaf purred. "And we wanted to give you a choice, Rowanflame."

"Wh-what kind of choice?" she choked out, already knowing the answer.

_"Who to ssssave, of coursssse. Your mate, or your masssster?"_ the snake constricting her hissed.

Her heart almost stopped. Slowly, she sat up, and the adder didn't protest, merely coiling around her neck and flicking its tongue near her face.

"Rowanflame! Don't-!" Iceblade's words were cut short as Spottedleaf pressed down on his neck, constricting his throat and making it hard for him to breathe. Rowanflame's mind raced, as she tried to figure out what he'd meant. Don't save him? Or don't save Ashstar? Was Iceblade trying to be loyal, or did he just want to live, at the cost of his leader?

She shut her eyes, ignoring the battle raging all around their little pocket of calm. Would Iceblade really be disloyal? She'd always thought of him as a near-perfect, if not perfect, warrior. Surely he'd want her to save Ashstar. Surely he'd understand. But how could she live her life without her mate? The thought brought only anguish to her heart, which was pounding wildly, flooding her blood with energy.

"You know where your loyalties lie!" Ashstar yowled, forcing her to jerk her eyes open again. Rowanflame almost shrieked when she saw the giant black snake flick its tongue next to Ashstar's face... and take a slow, careful bite into his left ear.

The yowls of agony were impossible to block out. Rowanflame's eyes darted wildly between her leader and her mate, Ashstar and Iceblade, her past and her future... her loyalty rested on moons of service... but was it really worth sacrificing a future for?

In the second that the black adder bit Ashstar agian, she made her lunge.

Spottedleaf yowled in shock as she was thrown off of Iceblade. She was clearly expecting Rowanflame to leap for Skystar's foul snake, not her. Iceblade didn't hesitate; he deftly bit into the throat of Spottedleaf's adder, ignoring its mouth full of gaping teeth poised to bite. The only sign of surprise and/or shock that Rowanflame could see were his wide eyes, but in that moment she was too filled with love to care. How could she ever have thought to live without this brave, perfect cat?

Together, they fought off Spottedleaf, who seemed to be in shock from the death of her faithful snake. She kept whispering "Ssaiss... Ssaiss..." which I assumed was the name of her adder. Her distraction made it easy to beat her, and she soon vanished into the throng of battling cats.

At the exact same time, Iceblade and I turned to Ashstar, just in time to see the most horrible sight ever. His pleading eyes were fixed on me, and he seemed to be mouthing my name... not speaking, because the giant adder had sunk its enormous teeth into his throat.

"Ashstar!" With a shriek of rage, Iceblade hurled himself at the snake. He bit into the back of its neck, and I could see blood spurt out of the wound, but the snake's jaws didn't relax. I bounded over to my fallen leader, and saw his amber eyes look at me one last time, full of - sorrow? Anger? Regret? - and then the light was gone, and I thought I saw a tiny mist emerge from his mouth and disappear, but it had to be my imagination because Ashstar was dead, he's dead and he won't come back.

Iceblade turned to me. I looked at him, ready to tell him how sorry I was and how much I loved him, but stopped when I saw his eyes full of fury.

"You did this," he whispered. "This is all your fault."

"But-!"

"NO! I tried to tell you to save Ashstar! Our leader is a thousand times more important than a warrior!" he yowled. "How is DeathClan going to survive without him?! We're going to lose this entire battle, thanks to some moonstruck, stupid she-cat!"

"But I thought you LOVED ME!" I screamed back, summoning rage to my defense. "I thought we could have a future together - how heartbroken do you think I"d feel if I'd saved my leader at the cost of you?!"

"So you put your _happiness_ in front of the lives of dozens of cats!" Iceblade spat. "I can't believe you, Rowanflame! We're done!"

"We're - we're - what? Done?" I repeated faintly. The world seemed to be spinning, and Iceblade's cruel words seemed to be coming from the end of a long, dark snow-tunnel.

"I don't want anything to do with the she-cat who's responsible for destroying my Clan, and my life." He started padding away, but I barely saw him. My ears were the only thing that was working properly.

"Wait! Iceblade! I'm having your kits!" I tried, in a last desperate attempt to get him to come back.

"Nice try, Rowanflame," he sneered, already a cave-length away. And then he was gone.


End file.
